


Shock to the System

by ChocolateSyrup



Category: Detective Pikachu - Fandom, POKEMON Detective Pikachu (2019), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pokemon - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Gen, Human Experimentation, can a world-class detective solve his own mystery?, harry remembers being human, he doesn't remember how he turned into pikachu
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-27
Updated: 2020-07-17
Packaged: 2020-07-23 11:33:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 27
Words: 87,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20007625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChocolateSyrup/pseuds/ChocolateSyrup
Summary: The last thing Tim expected when he walked into his estranged father's apartment was to find signs that he actually did care. But the very, very last thing he expected was to find a talking Pikachu claiming to actually be his father.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So I should probably finish Merge to One before starting this, but I couldn't resist! The idea just came to me and wouldn't leave me alone, so I had to get at least the first chapter written! How much do you think would change if 'Pikachu' knew from the start that he was Tim's father?

_Dear Tim,_

_I can do better if you give me a chance. I will always have a place for you to stay._

_Happy birthday,_

_Love, Dad._

Tim continues to stare at the letter in his hands—at the invitation for him to go to Ryme City to stay with his father that he hasn't seen in years. They barely even talked to each other, yet here he is in the detective's apartment after receiving news that he had been in an awful car accident.

He's gone _permanently_ , and Tim isn't sure how to feel...especially after finding the invitation to come and live with him here in Ryme City that he'd never had a chance to send. There's a train ticket included that he's not so sure what to make of. He's not sure if he would have used it if the invitation had reached his place, but just _maybe..._

It's too late now.

Tim sighs, moving to the next room—a room that was meant to be _his,_ judging by the tall Pikachu ears and Pokémon battle posters that cover the walls. It's his childhood room, perfectly reconstructed to make it feel more like home.

He'd made the decision to stay with his grandparents instead and his father must have decided to keep the room like this anyway, frozen in time for a son who would never get off the train. Tim can only sit on his childhood bed, gripping the train ticket like a lifeline. Like somehow, it could be a time machine to the past and he could go back and make everything right. But did his father really _deserve_ it? His mother had passed and his father had drowned himself in work and grief when they had both been equally hurting by the loss in their family.

But just because his father had been hurting too, it didn't mean he could pack everything up and move to Ryme City to be a detective and practically cut his son out of his life.

Floorboards creak, bringing Tim back to a reality he doesn't really want to face. For so long, he had believed his father didn't care, but now...maybe he'd been wrong. Maybe it was _his_ fault for not getting on the train. Maybe if he had just stepped on, things would be a lot different now.

There's a more important matter at hand. He knows he'd been alone upon entering the apartment, but maybe he left the door unlocked by accident and someone had come in. He gets up from his bed, wiping stray tears away with his arm.

"Hello? Someone there?" he asks cautiously, looking towards the door. Weird...it hasn't been opened.

"Hello...?" he asks again.

"Ow, that's a sprain," a voice whispers, not exactly in response when a lamp is knocked over. The light switches on and a silhouette appears on the wall, giving away the fact that someone is _here,_ never mind the fact that they've already given themselves away by talking.

"Whoever you are...I know how to use this," he warns, grabbing a nearby stapler.

He holds the stapler out for good measure. If someone really _is_ here, maybe they'd mistake it for the sound and look of something much more menacing than a simple stapler and be wise enough to leave.

The last thing he expects to find is a Pikachu that peeks out from behind a mini set of drawers, ears perked and looking at him curiously.

"A Pikachu? How did you get in here?" he questions uncertainly. The apartment door had been locked; he'd had to use the keys given to him by Lieutenant Yoshida to get in. There's no way he could have gotten in through a window; the apartment is too high up, and there had been nothing the Pikachu could use to climb that he saw.

But probably the strangest thing about the Pikachu so far is that he's wearing a little hat in between his ears.

The yellow Pokémon sighs, climbing up on top of the drawers.

"I know you can't understand me, but put down the stapler, or I will electrocute you," the Pikachu says.

Wait...

Tim stops himself from moving any closer and he blinks.

The stapler drops from his hands, clattering to the floor.

"Did you just...talk?" he asks, unsure if it's a question that he should even _be_ asking.

"Whoa...did you just understand me?" the Pikachu asks. He literally just _asked_ a question.

Tim backs away slowly, trying his best not to fall over, but it's difficult with the way his legs are shaking.

"Wait! Wait, wait, wait, wait...that is heavy eye contact right there, you heard me."

"N-no, I didn't," Tim stammers, hardly even able to get his own words out. This can't be happening, it just can't...

"Yes, you did! Oh my God! You can understand me!" the Pikachu is practically screaming now—screaming _English,_ and Tim doesn't know what else to do apart from lifting his hands up to his ears to try and block the human speech that's somehow leaking from the Pikachu's moving mouth in words that aren't just simply _pika, pika..._

"Stop!" Tim begs, but the Pikachu's ears just droop and he talks _again._

"But I've been so lonely!" he whimpers, his eyes big and round as if he thinks that acting cute will somehow calm him down when in reality, it accomplishes the exact opposite.

"Just stop talking, you're a hallucination!" Tim shouts.

 _"You're_ a hallucination," the Pikachu counters, like he's offended that Tim thinks he isn't real.

Then he squints, as if to try and get a closer look at him. Tim backs up, not even realizing how far he's gone until he bumps into the couch.

"Wait...you. It's _you!"_ the Pikachu exclaims like he's just remembered something, absolutely ecstatic for some reason that Tim can't even begin to place. "I know you!"

"What...how?" he sputters, barely able to make sense of what's happening. It seems like the Pikachu _recognizes_ him. There's photos of him in the apartment, but from when he was younger.

Tim has no idea what the Pikachu is talking about. How is it even _talking_ in the first place? Was it some kind of experiment gone wrong?

No, that can't be it. He's just losing it. That's it, he's lost his mind after being stuck in his little cubicle day after day doing insurance work.

"You have to help me. I know we haven't seen or talked to each other in years. I was never there for you and you probably hate me, but I _need_ your help. I'm in serious trouble."

What the heck is the Pikachu talking about? What does he mean they haven't seen each other in years...he's never seen this Pikachu before in his _life._ Truth be told, he hasn't seen that many Pokémon in his life ever since he'd decided to stay in his hometown and do insurance, but he's _positive_ he's never seen this particular Pikachu. He's positive that he's never seen any Pokémon that wears a detective hat that's oddly small enough to fit on its head.

"Okaaaay. I'm just gonna...go. Yeah, I'm leaving," Tim says, turning around to head for the apartment door. Maybe he should have listened to that girl he'd met on the way inside, claiming that she smelled a story right under her nose.

Maybe this was it, and she'd been _right._

Or maybe he's just completely lost it. That has to be it—that's the most logical explanation and he's sticking with it. He turns around to start leaving, but the Pikachu is very insistent.

"Tim, wait! It's me!" the Pikachu exclaims, rushing behind him and hopping up onto the couch. "Please, just listen!"

Tim stops in his tracks, his ears ringing. He feels like he wants to throw up, but he holds it in the best that he can. He doesn't want to listen. He shouldn't be able to listen, but for some reason he _can,_ and the Pokémon just said his _name._

His hand is close enough to the doorknob to touch. He could open the apartment door and run for his life, never looking back. He could just forget today ever happened, and forget that he had ever run into a _talking Pikachu_ of all things.

Against his better judgement, he turns around slowly to stare back at the Pikachu. The fluffy Pokémon tilts his head to the side hopefully.

"How do you know my name...?" Tim wants to demand, but it comes out in little more than a whisper. He'd never even _mentioned_ his name, yet the Pikachu knows what it is. His first thought is the envelope with the invitation inside that had his name written on it, but it had looked untouched before he'd opened it, and it had been sitting on a dresser too tall for Pikachu to reach. Pokémon can't even read, can they?

So _how?_ Now he doesn't know what's crazier—the fact that the Pikachu is _talking,_ or the fact that it _somehow knows his name._ How much crazier and weirder can this day get? First, his friend takes him out to try and catch a Pokémon for a partner—a Cubone—but he'd failed miserably. Then he gets news that his father is dead. Then he gets on the train, only to have his face be licked by a Lickitung. _Then_ he comes to his apartment and finds some weird, purple gas that he'd breathed in and nearly choked on.

This Pikachu shouldn't be talking. At all. Yet here he is, _talking to a Pikachu._ He can understand him as if he were talking to just another person. Is it the little hat on his head giving him some kind power, or the weird, purple gas that he'd accidentally breathed in? Maybe he should go to the doctor when he gets back home just in case...

"It's me," the Pikachu repeats. He pauses for a moment so his words can sink in, but Tim is still clueless.

"Who...?" Tim asks slowly, unsure of what the Pikachu is trying to 'tell' him. He shouldn't be trying to tell him _anything._ He's a _Pokémon._ The one thing he's sure of when it comes to Pokémon is that they can only say their names... _right?_

"Who are you?" he asks, finally managing to finish the question...because this _thing_ can't be a Pikachu. He has to be dreaming, but when he pinches himself, he's still in the apartment and staring at the yellow Pokémon with wide eyes.

Maybe he should really be asking _what_ instead of who.

"Harry. Your dad. I'm Harry," the Pikachu says slowly and firmly, as if that will help cement Tim's belief. If anything, it only makes Tim further question his sanity.

Tim blinks. He stares and the Pikachu nods, a smile spreading like he's assuming that Tim finally understands, or that he finally recognizes him through the body of a Pikachu after stating the impossible.

He doesn't. He doesn't understand at all, even though he can perfectly understand the talking Pikachu before him that's claiming to be...

His _father?_ He hadn't recognized it at first, but now that he thinks about it, the voice coming out of Pikachu does sound just the slightest bit familiar...

"I know it's a little hard to believe, but—"

'Harry' doesn't even have the chance to finish.

Tim does the only thing he can think of and faints promptly on the spot.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's really fun trying to figure out what dialogue would stay the same, or what I need to add and change since Harry doesn't have amnesia this time. Some scenes might even have to be out of order!

"Kid. Hey, kid. Wake up! Please, wake up! Tim!"

Tim's eyes flutter open, a blur of yellow and red hovering over him with deep concern.

"Whew. You almost gave _me_ a heart attack, kid. I was about to use my cheeks or something as defibrillators."

Tim lifts a hand to rub his aching head. The blurriness slowly goes away until he can see that a certain Pokémon is still in the apartment with him.

It's that...Pikachu again. And it's still _talking_ when it really shouldn't be.

"I can't exactly call an ambulance. All they would hear is _pika, pika,"_ the Pikachu says.

_Says._

"Get away from me!" Tim shouts as realization dawns on him that _yes,_ the Pikachu is still _talking,_ and he gets up from the floor quickly as possible.

"To be fair, I'm the one who should be freaking out more," the Pikachu points out. "Though I've already had my fair share of freaking out when I woke up like this."

The Pikachu shakes his head, staring down at his paws.

He _does_ have a point. Getting turned into a Pokémon must be pretty freaky, if what he'd said about being his father is true. All things considered, 'Harry' looks like he's handling it pretty well. Tim won't admit it out loud, but he had definitely freaked out far worse when the Pikachu had first started talking.

But the first thing Tim does once he's on two steady feet is head for the apartment door again, determined to leave for real this time. He still doesn't understand, and he's not planning on trying to understand any more than he's already able to if he can help it.

Of course, the Pikachu follows after him again. He tries to block him from going any further, dancing around his ankles and making it hard for him to keep moving towards the door.

"Kid, I'm begging you. I need your help getting back to normal, please don't leave!"

Getting back to normal? It doesn't make any sense!

"You're crazy! Maybe _I'm_ crazy because I can hear what you're saying!" Tim shouts, his desperation to get out of the apartment only growing with each passing second.

"I promise you, I'm telling the truth. I'm your father!" Pikachu shouts back, jumping up and down just as desperately in front of him.

"My dad is _dead!"_

The Pikachu is like an annoying fly that won't go away. Tim waves his hand in blind motion, only further failing to get him to back off.

"That's what they _want_ you to think, but there's no one to actually say goodbye _to._ I'm right here!" Pikachu continues to insist without fail.

It's enough to get Tim to stop and consider what he'd just said.

"Lieutenant Yoshida told me he died in a car accident. It was in the newspaper."

Pikachu stares for a moment, as if he's trying hard to remember something, but then he shakes his head again.

"A car _accident?_ I think not. Just because the cops say so, doesn't mean it's _true._ Did they find a body?"

Tim's breath catches, eyes widening just the slightest, and Pikachu can tell that he finally has his attention.

He does have a good point...

"No, because look what happened!" Pikachu exclaims, gesturing to his own small and yellow body. "Something definitely seems fishy, if you ask me."

Almost exactly what the reporter had said as Tim had made his way into Harry's apartment.

 _Harry was onto something big. Real big. And then all of a sudden, his car crashes over a bridge? I think not. Something's rotten and I'm gonna get to the bottom of it,_ he can clearly remember the reporter saying. Maybe something big really _is_ going on that he just can't see yet...but a big part of that answer is standing right in front of him, however much he doesn't want to admit it.

"If you're my dad, then how come you didn't tell me right when I walked in?" he whispers quietly. He'd been roaming around the apartment for what, about five...maybe ten minutes? And his 'father' had been watching him the entire time.

"Okay, I admit it. I didn't recognize you at first, which could be because we haven't seen each other in such a long time. You've gotten so much bigger since the last time I saw you, I can't believe..."

He stops, much to Tim's relief. It seems like he's distracted, his little nose wiggling as he sniffs the air.

Tim takes his chance and uses the opportunity to place his hand on the doorknob, slowly turning it in an attempt not to make any noise so Pikachu won't hear him trying to leave.

Almost there...he can get out of here and the Pikachu would never notice!

"Did you leave that window open?" Pikachu asks, turning back around. "Hey! You can't leave yet! We still have a mystery to solve. _My_ mystery!"

Tim cringes. He'd been so close to escaping!

"You're still crazy. Either that, or _I'm_ still crazy," he concludes.

"I think we have something more important to worry about right now than who's the crazier one!"

Tim unfortunately knows the Pikachu is right when a purple blur leaps onto Harry's desk through the open window that the yellow mouse had noticed, making even more of a mess out of the already-messy piles of papers.

"Excuse me, Aipom! I'm having a private conversation with my son here, please."

Pikachu glances up at Tim proudly, like a kid who had just rode his bike without training wheels for the first time. "Turns out that while you can understand me, I can also understand other Pokémon! Isn't that part cool?"

"It's not cool, and I'm _not_ your son! I thought I told you to stop talking!"

Tim turns to the Aipom. "You, out! Shoo!"

He simply doesn't need another Pokémon to come in and add to all the insanity.

"I'd tread lightly there, chief. That Aipom don't look right."

Pikachu _is_ right. The closer he looks, the more...off the Aipom seems. It's growling...aren't Aipom usually friendly? Maybe mischievous, but never outright _vicious_ like how this particular Aipom is baring its teeth at him, eyes wide and bright purple. One thing Tim knows for sure is that isn't Aipom's normal eye color...

"Tim, get behind me," Pikachu says sternly as he can while also being quiet, for fear he might upset the Aipom further.

It's not a request, but his 'son' refuses to comply and stays where he is, his feet rooted to the spot.

The Aipom growls and stares down Pikachu, but the electric mouse refuses to back down, staring back just as hard.

"Stay away from my son!" he cries, but to no avail.

Tim doesn't even have time to protest being called Pikachu's son again. Aipom leaps too fast for Pikachu to make his own move, grabbing Tim by his shoulder and flinging him on Harry's desk, _then_ flipping him over the chair and back onto the floor where he'd fainted. It's only pure survival instinct that keeps him from fainting again, afraid that if he does, he'll become the Aipom's dinner.

"Get up, kid! He's coming back around!" Pikachu screams as the Aipom uses Harry's chair to leap right onto Tim's shoulders.

Pikachu takes the opportunity while the Aipom is distracted by the unfortunate circumstance to jump up on the kitchen counter, more than ready to throw out what seem like good fighting technique suggestions, like he's a trainer and _Tim_ is the Pokémon in an ongoing battle.

"Okay, here's what you wanna do. You wanna bite him, you wanna scream. We're playing charades. We're not playing charades!"

"I'm gonna get a knife!" he proclaims, lifting the knife and pointing it in Tim's direction.

"Not the knife!" Tim screams the best that he can with Aipom's tail wrapped around his mouth.

"Okay, bad idea with the knife! I'll find something else...eat this!"

He grabs the first thing he can see on the counter in a basket, tossing a piece of fruit in Aipom's direction. The crazy Pokémon snarls as it shreds the fruit to pieces and swallows.

"You are so welcome. He was just a hungry little—"

Two more Aipom and counting that must be its backup jump into the apartment uninvited.

"Come on, kid. Let's move!"

Tim has no choice but to follow the equally-crazy Pikachu that's still claiming to be his late father.

"To the roof!"

xxxx

"Way to stick the landing, kid," Pikachu says casually when they both drop to the harsh ground from the trash chute. Like falling down a trash chute is something he does every day and honestly, Tim wouldn't be surprised.

A _trash chute_ off all things that the Pikachu had convinced him to jump into, or risk being attacked by the pack of crazy Pokémon. He doesn't know what's crazier at this point; the fact that he'd met a Pikachu he can understand in his father's apartment, or the fact that they had been chased by a crazy pack of _wild Aipom._

Speaking of which...

"Oh. Looks like someone's back in a good mood," Pikachu notes.

Tim doesn't even look behind him to see that the Aipom have finally calmed down from whatever it had been that sent them into a rage.

"Leave me alone!" he shouts to the Pikachu. He only has one thing on his mind now: warning everyone on the street who doesn't know about their impending doom.

"Run! Rabid Aipom! Look out! Run! Go, go, go, go!" he screams, waving his arms wildly in the air.

No one in the crowd is listening.

Why isn't _anyone_ listening?

Glancing behind him, Tim finds his answer when he sees that the Aipom themselves have truly calmed down, huddling together in the back alleyway.

"I think pants are gonna do you a lot of good right now," Pikachu says, much too nonchalantly for Tim's taste.

One of the Aipom surprisingly returns his pants to him by holding its tail out. While grateful, Tim is still suspicious. They'd gone from crazy to calm and playful just like that, and he's not about to start trusting them anytime soon.

"Shoo," he says, waving at the group to leave.

"You know, I pictured you as a bit of a briefs guy, but those are nice."

Tim ignores Pikachu as he frantically puts his pants back on, face flushing.

"Me, I just have all this fur now. I can't exactly wear clothes at the moment except for my hat, so if it wasn't for my new fur, I'm basically—"

He has to find out if he's not the only crazy one. He _has_ to know if other people can understand the Pikachu too, or else his mind is going to be even more far gone than it already supposedly is. He gets the attention of a man and a lady walking by, and thankfully they take their time to stop.

"Excuse me. Excuse me, hi. Sorry, uh, you can hear him. Right? You can hear him talking?"

"My son thinks he's crazy, but it's true. I'm his father," Pikachu states in a hushed whisper to them. Tim just sighs, trying his best to ignore the human words that just keep coming out of Pikachu's mouth.

The woman with long, dark hair bends down, her face stretched into a bright smile.

"Aw, yeah. Pika, pika pika. He's adorable," she coos, her voice gushing as her eyes meet the electric mouse's.

 _"You're_ adorable. They can't understand me, kid," Pikachu lets him know with a smug grin.

"It's me. It's that stuff I put up my nose," Tim groans, gesturing to his nose that had inhaled the purple gas earlier on back in the apartment. Aside from being crazy, it's the only other logical explanation he can think of.

In a split second, he realizes how that must sound.

"No! Not like that. No, it was a gas. I was breathing gas—accidentally! I was accidentally..." he doesn't have a chance to finish, the couple's eyes widening as they hurry away from him.

"Ixnay on the gas thing," Pikachu whispers harshly. "Unless you want Johnny Law to give you a one-way ticket to hoosegow, let's move."

Tim keeps moving as Pikachu instructed, not bothering to bring up the gas again. As much as he doesn't want to listen, Pikachu had brought up a good point. But not mentioning the gas is the only tip he'll take, and he blocks out the rest of whatever it is that Pikachu is trying to say. He really shouldn't be trying to say _anything!_

"Can no one else can hear him?!" Tim raises his voice above the crowd. He gets more confused and worried stares, but other than that, no one seems to be taking notice of the strange and talking yellow Pokémon that hasn't let up claiming he'd once been human.

His _father._

"Oh, this is a first for me too, kid. Maybe for _anyone."_

"He's saying words," Tim mumbles, more to himself now that he sees no one is really listening. If only they had their attention trained on him the way that Pikachu does, maybe then a miracle would happen and they would understand, too...

"I've been trying to talk to people all the time since changing, but all they hear is _pika, pika_ which is why I couldn't exactly call emergency when you fainted."

Tim tries his best to shut him out. He really does, but it's no use. The Pikachu just goes on and on...

"Then they can't stop petting me. It's tough being adorable all the time."

Tim takes his chances again. Someone _has_ to be able to hear him like he does!

"Can you hear him talking, can you hear him saying words?" he asks desperately, only to be ignored yet _again._

"What are you not _getting_ here, kid? You're the only one who can hear me! It has to be because we're related! Father and son! It's like destiny!"

Tim doesn't realize they've reached a more quiet area until he attempts to ask the same question of if anyone can understand him again, finding that no one is around to even ask.

"I already said you are not my father, and it is _not_ destiny."

Related to a Pikachu...a Pikachu as his _father..._ the thought alone makes him want to throw up again.

"Then why were you in that apartment?" Pikachu wants to know.

His son _hates_ him. What reason would he have to go to his apartment other than to possibly try and reconcile, which is an absolute shot in the dark? He'd _never_ give him a second chance.

"Because like I told you, Lieutenant Yoshida said you— _he_ —died in a car accident. I came to say goodbye. Why were _you_ there?" he shoots back, his tone unnecessarily harsh.

"It couldn't have _just_ been an accident, kid," Pikachu responds somewhat sharply. _Someone_ had been involved in his 'death,' but he just can't remember _who._ "And I told you, I'm your father. It's _my_ apartment, why else would I be there?"

"Okay. If you're really my dad, then prove it," Tim demands. "Tell me something only my father would know."

That isn't fair! It's been how long since they've seen each other...?

"Your favorite Pokémon is Pikachu," he replies almost instantly, anyway. "Which is kind of a coincidence if you think about it," he says, looking down at himself.

"Was," Tim corrects. While it's true that Pikachu had been his favorite at one point, it's not anymore. He no longer _has_ a favorite. "And besides, there's Pikachu ears on my bed. You probably just saw those."

"You collect Pokémon cards just like the ones in your childhood room. Probably have hundreds by now."

"Collected," Tim corrects again, and Pikachu's expression drops just the slightest, like he hadn't been expecting such an answer.

"You wanted to be a Pokémon trainer when you were younger," he guesses again. This isn't going as well as he hoped it would...

Harry isn't sure what Tim is doing now, but he knows one thing for sure; he hasn't lived out his dream of becoming a trainer, and more sadness than disappointment filters through him at the thought. His son has the freedom to choose what he wants to do with his life, but it's sad he never had the chance to live out his dream...or just didn't _want_ to.

 _"Every_ kid wants to be a Pokémon trainer when they're that age. I'm out of here," Tim says, his steps becoming faster as his feet lead him back towards the train station.

"Wait! Your mom," Pikachu calls from behind him.

Tim stops, frozen at the unexpected mention of his mother. He stays put in his spot, still refusing to turn around.

"Your mom got real sick the on the day you were supposed to get your first Pokémon—the biggest day of your life—and then she..."

She died. A big part of the reason that he's so against having his own partner, because it will do nothing but remind him of her and that awful day.

"It was raining that night. I got home late, and your grandma was waiting. I don't think I've ever hugged someone that hard in my life."

Tim remembers. That night is so engraved in his mind that he can remember every little detail—watching the rain from his bedroom window and seeing his father getting out of his car to hurry inside. The way he'd hid on the upstairs banister and watched as Harry hugged his grandma tightly, each sobbing in despair just as hard as the other.

It's all exactly as this Pikachu is describing—something only _he_ would know about their family—which can only mean...

Tim turns around as if in slow motion, hardly able to breathe. He bends down to the Pikachu's level, eyes wide in shock.

"Dad?"

The Pikachu nods, eyes shining bright in the neon dark of the city lights. The closer Tim looks, he notices that the Pokémon's eyes share the same brown color as his father.

"Is it really you?"

"Yeah. Yeah, it's really me, kid," Harry says quietly in a whisper. "Pretty hard to believe, right? But please don't faint again."

Tim just nods slightly, mouth partly open. He feels like he does want to faint again, but fights against it. Everything the Pikachu had said is _true,_ and he's not sure whether to feel relieved or like he's just continuing to lose it.

"How did this happen?" he questions, his mind racing faster than he can comprehend. "How is it even possible?"

"Funny story. I don't actually remember," Harry says with a far away look in his eyes. Maybe he's trying to recall what happened, but it just won't come to him and he gives up, focusing his attention back on his son.

"You can't remember anything?" Tim asks, his voice more gentle than it had been back at the apartment when he'd freaked out over first meeting the talking Pikachu.

"Not how... _this_ happened, no," Harry admits, gesturing down to himself. "Getting turned into a Pokémon really messes with your head, you know? I can remember being human, though. I remember you. I could never forget you," his voice trails off in a whisper.

"All I know is, this has to do with the case I was investigating, whatever that was. If we can figure that out, maybe we can find a way to change me back to normal. Whoever did this wanted to keep me quiet, and what better way to do that than by faking my death and turning me into a Pokémon?"

Tim thinks on it for a moment. His father is _here_ and apparently alive, but he's stuck in the body of a Pikachu. He could leave him here if he wanted and never look back. No one else can understand him, so no one would ever know...everyone would continue on thinking that he's dead. He could leave him just like Harry had left him all those years ago.

But could he really live with himself with something like that on his conscience? He knows he can't really leave his father behind when he needs his help, and badly...

Does he _deserve_ his help, though? Tim honestly can't think of a reason why he should try and help his estranged father-turned-Pikachu, so he decides to ask his father himself.

"Give me one good reason why I should help you."

Pikachu goes quiet for once in the short time that they've known each other so far.

"I know I've messed up and bad. I left when you needed me most, and not a day goes by that I don't regret not trying harder to be there for you. But I can feel it in my jellies that maybe turning into a Pikachu happened for a reason, so I can try and make things _right."_

He doesn't even say sorry, like saying such a thing will just make it sound like he's kissing up.

He sounds...genuine. Like he really _does_ want to try for once in his life, and that's more than Tim can ask for. He _did_ just help him escape a horde of crazy Aipom. Maybe they really _should_ start re-investigating this case...if his father had been transformed into a Pokémon by some maniac, Tim doesn't want another poor soul to suffer the same fate and question their sanity just as badly as he is.

"What are jellies?" he decides to ask instead.

"It's the...jellies. It's a _thing._ You know, you _feel_ it when you really believe in something despite everyone telling you you're wrong. So what do you say, kid?"

Only his father could come up with something so stupid and cheesy like that.

"...Fine," is all Tim can say in a groan, sighing. "I can't believe..."

Harry's ears perk up in excitement, and the widest smile Tim has probably ever seen crosses his fluffy face.

"Great! We're gonna do this, you and me. It was....maybe magic that brought us together again, and that magic is called hope. Hope that I can get back to normal and try to be a better father."

Okay, maybe he is kissing up a bit.

"But only on one condition," Tim interrupts before he can start moving again. Harry's ears droop slightly, but he remains at attention.

"Anything," he says willingly.

"You're not really my dad," Tim says, and Harry tilts his head to the side in slight confusion. "Because that would be really weird. You're just Pikachu."

"Alright, alright. Understandable," Pikachu agrees. It _would_ be really weird having a Pokémon for a father. But maybe, just _maybe_ if they work on the case together and he gets back to normal, Tim would be willing to give him back the title if he does his best to earn it.

"You want to get a coffee so we can talk about this more?" he asks with a small, but barely contained smile. "I know a great place."


	3. Chapter 3

If there was one thing Tim had always been sure about since he had decided to remain home with his grandparents, it was that he would never see or hear from his father again.

He didn't _want_ to. He didn't want to have anything to do with a father who had decided to shut him out, and so Tim had decided to shut _him_ out in return. At some point, Harry had finally tried to offer him to come and live in Ryme City.

He'd refused to get on the train, and there had been little to no contact whatsoever between the two of them since that fateful day.

Nothing.

Harry had been gone for good and out of his life.

Yet here he is now, sitting with his father-turned-Pikachu in a place called the Hi-Hat Café, and the Pikachu himself is downing every last cup of coffee he can find on the counter.

_Coffee._

Tim is pretty sure that coffee can't be good for any Pokémon, let alone a _Pikachu_ for obvious reasons.

"So there I was in the middle of nowhere with a bad case of the forgetsies. No clues as to what happened, except I had woken up in the body of a Pikachu. No clues as to how _that_ happened, either," Harry explains the best that he can, his face scrunching in deep concentration.

Tim still isn't sure if he believes that he can understand what the Pikachu is saying, or that it's actually his _father._ He guesses that it makes sense; Pikachu had said that no one else can understand him, and only he can because of how they're related to each other. He honestly never would have thought of that upon entering the apartment and finding a Pikachu there that he can understand completely.

At least that's one mystery solved, but they still have a lot of work to do, and Pikachu is concentrating so hard on the mystery of _how_ he was turned into a Pikachu that Tim is sure his head is going to burst.

"I tried to retrace my steps, but it only took me back to my apartment. That's when you walked in," Harry says, glancing up at Tim. He stares back, and then at the rest of the café.

There's a Growlithe sitting with its partner behind them, a Purrloin that seems to be giving them the stink eye, and a Jigglypuff singing on the top of a table. Much to Tim's horror, a man seems to be knocked out at its feet, probably lulled to sleep by the powerful lullaby.

Tim is surprised by how many Pokémon he can recognize from childhood knowledge alone, and remembers that Jigglypuff has the power to make people fall asleep. He does his best to tune it out, for fear that he'll be put under the same spell.

"I don't know. Maybe I got in too deep," Harry murmurs quietly.

"Deep in what?" Tim asks, eying the bartender who's also eyeing _him._ He's watching him, and he's watching him like he's crazy for talking to a Pikachu. Tim pulls out his phone and gives the guy a nervous smile, trying to make it look like he's just having a conversation with someone else and _not_ a Pokémon, because Pokémon _aren't supposed to talk!_

He's pretty sure that all the bartender can hear is _pika, pika,_ just like Pikachu had told him. It amazes and terrifes him at the same time, but mostly leaves him terrified. It's just not _natural!_

"You know. Mixed up with the wrong crowd, that kinda thing. Happens to the best of us. The debts pile up, the walls close in. Right becomes wrong. Wrong becomes wrong..." Harry trails off and stares down into his coffee cup with wide eyes. When Tim doesn't respond, he glances up and finally notices the phone that he's holding up to his ear.

"Wait, who are you calling?" he questions curiously. They have more important things to worry about right now!

"No one else can understand you, remember?" Tim reminds him in a whisper. 

"Ah, so no one else thinks you're crazy. Good idea," Harry agrees. It makes the most sense out of everything that's happened so far, anyway... 

"Yeah, that sounds great," Tim says, keeping up the act of making it seem like he's just having a conversation with another human being over the phone. Harry ignores the rest of his words, bringing his attention back to the most important task at hand: trying to remember what happened.

Easier said than done.

"Or maybe I just got too close to the truth and that's when the culprit decided I needed to be out of the picture!"

Harry lifts his cup to take another sip of the energizing substance, only to find that there's nothing left. He raises the cup over his head just to be absolutely sure the coffee is all gone, a frown crossing his face when his suspicion is correct. Not even a drop is left! He needs _more..._

"So you _really_ can't remember what happened?" Tim asks, just to be sure. It seems like Harry can remember who he is, so why can't he remember what had happened that turned him into a Pikachu? Then again, that's probably what the 'bad guys' wanted—to keep Harry quiet. Getting turned into a Pokémon _really_ must be messing with his head. 

"Nope. Can't remember a darn thing," Harry admits freely.

"Okay, so you're a talking Pikachu who just so happens to be my dad who got turned into a Pikachu. Who's also addicted to caffeine," Tim says, more like he's thinking out loud to himself to get a better sense of what he might be missing. 

"I could stop whenever I want. These are just choices," he states, searching the counter for more cups of coffee; preferably full. 

"Are you sure it's a good idea now that you're a Pokémon?" Tim has to ask. 

A Pikachu on caffeine is just what he needs. They're already high-energy level electric types as it is, and he doesn't need one to get hyped up on _coffee._

"Trust me kid, this is the best idea I've had all week," he says, focusing his attention on a green and shaggy Pokémon that for some reason, Tim hadn't noticed until now; he'd been too worried about other people thinking that he's crazy to notice much else. 

Tim finds that he doesn't disagree about this being his best idea. 

"Another round, extra shot. Black as night, thank you, sweetie," Harry places his order eagerly, putting his new ability to understand Pokémon to good use.

Tim is unprepared when the Pokémon's blue eyes bulge, and one of the most horrifying sounds he's ever heard emerges from its mouth in a blood-curdling scream that almost causes him to jump out of his seat.

"Ludicolo!"

If Tim hadn't run into a talking Pikachu that turned out to be his _father,_ the Ludicolo would definitely take the cake out of all the weird things that have happened today.

"Look, I'm a great detective. But I can't solve my own mystery if I can't even remember what happened to me."

"Do you have a partner?" Tim asks. His father _has_ to have a partner, one of the most important facts about Ryme City in the informational video he'd seen being how important the relationship between humans and Pokémon are. It's what the creator of the city—Howard Clifford—had wanted to focus on the most, making both Poké Balls and battling illegal.

"What?"

"A Pokémon partner," Tim repeats. "Everyone kept asking me that when I got here. You can understand Pokémon now, so maybe your partner might remember if it was with you."

Harry pauses for a moment, thinking hard. "I'm assuming I did...everyone has a partner at the precinct."

Just like Yoshida and his Snubbull. Tim can't recall the lieutenant mentioning that Harry had a partner, though.

"That can't be good, because it wasn't there with me at the apartment. What if it was captured by the culprit?" Harry worries, eyes widening just the slightest.

"You can't remember what Pokémon you had?"

"Nope," Harry says again. "Not one bit...wouldn't it be funny if it was a Pikachu? Or maybe I didn't have a partner at all. Maybe I was one of those dramatic 'I-work-alone' types."

Tim just rolls his eyes, preparing to pay for all the coffee Pikachu had consumed. He still makes sure that he's holding his phone up so the bartender won't think he's crazy again.

"Tomorrow, I'm taking you to Yoshida so we can get some answers."

Harry shakes his head. "Been there, done that, kid. The lieutenant can't understand me either, just like everyone else."

"That's weird...he didn't mention ever seeing a Pikachu," Tim mutters. Then again, why would he? All Tim had been there for was to get the keys to his father's apartment. 

Harry finishes off the last cup of coffee, and Tim stops him before he can alert Ludicolo for yet _another_ round.

"Come on, let's go back to the apartment. Maybe a good night's sleep will help that new Pika brain of yours," he suggests, and Pikachu agrees. The electric mouse hops off of his seat. 

"Okay, but you're sleeping on the couch," he says smugly with a grin.

"What? No, I'm not gonna sleep on the couch!" Tim protests, following him reluctantly out of the café and back into the neon-lit street.

His father is a small and fluffy _Pikachu_ now, he doesn't need a whole bed to sleep on! 

"Well, then we can share. Be a dear, would you, and get the door for me. I'm not tall enough anymore."

Pikachu stands by said door, ears standing up straight and waiting as if he has all the time in the world for his son to do one simple task. Tim hadn't realized just how close the café is to Harry's apartment; coffee had definitely been one of the first things on his mind to consider when he'd moved here.

"We are not sharing your bed," Tim instantly disagrees, frowning.

"But it _is_ my bed," Harry counters, the smug grin never leaving his face that seems to spread across both of his red-circled cheeks. "You used to sneak into our bed all the time when you got scared." 

"Th-that was a long, _long_ time ago, and I never got scared! What am I doing?" Tim groans. He shouldn't be here. He shouldn't be here with his _father_ giving him a second chance, but he is. 

He gives in at last and opens the door. If at all possible, Harry's smile grows ten times wider. 

"I just invited someone to my apartment! I never do this, I'm not that kind of Pokémon."

Because he _is_ stuck as a Pokémon for now...he might as well embrace it. 

xxxx

Once he's all done getting ready for the night, Tim sighs and makes his way to the couch. Pikachu had been very persistent about sleeping in his own bed. He wouldn't even consider sleeping on the Pikachu bed of all things, and there's no way that Tim is going to sleep on his childhood bed. Pikachu had argued that he's not going to sleep on it either because of the ears and that it's just too creepy. 

Creepy...yet flattering at the same time. Tim never knew that those two words could go together.

So in the end, Pikachu had won and Tim gave in. He's sleeping on the couch whether he likes it or not. 

The sound of a faint voice echoing from his childhood room causes him to stop and turn around, and he stays still for a moment. Maybe Pikachu had finally decided to change his mind. But the closer he listens, the more it seems like the electric mouse is talking to someone that isn't him. 

Tim moves and stands by the door, pushing an ear against it. Should he really be eavesdropping like this? It doesn't feel right, but he just seems to be mesmerized by what he _can_ hear that he feels the need to hear _more._

He opens the door as slowly as possible so Pikachu won't hear, only stopping when the human-turned-Pokémon's words are clear enough for him to understand. 

From what Tim can make out past the little crack of the door, Pikachu is talking to a picture of his mother that's sitting on the desk. 

"So, in an unexpected turn of events...I'm back with our son," Harry whispers, his ears slightly drooping. "We both could use your advice. I never could talk to him the way you could...what am I going to do?" he asks the picture, desperate. 

Tim can't help but agree. His mother _had_ always been good at talking to him, at helping to make him feel better whenever he was feeling down. He remains quiet, his curiosity getting the better of him. 

"I can't mess this up. One little mistake, and he's probably going to leave again. But I don't blame him..." 

Harry lets out a small and worried sigh. It's been a long day for the both of them, but his father probably more so.

"Now I'm stuck in the body of a Pokémon, but don't worry. We'll figure it out...together. I know we will." 

Tim shuts the door quietly as he can, not wanting to interrupt such a personal moment.

He's heard all that he needs to.

xxxx

Tim had thought he'd heard some kind of rummaging that caused him to wake up.

He hadn't expected a monster pile of papers to be absolutely everywhere that he steps.

"Ah, my clues!" Harry complains, trying in vain to salvage what he can that had been scattered by Tim's feet.

Tim steps on more papers without even meaning to. They're all over the place! "What is all this?" 

Maybe this is what he should have expected. His father is a detective, after all...but not a very organized one.

"Hard work, that's what this is. And by the way, we can't go to the cops. Not 'till we know who we can trust; not even Yoshida. You never know who could turn their back on you. So put my clues back in order, would ya?" 

"These aren't clues, this is the work of a serial killer," Tim comments upon noticing the trail of coffee cups scattered everywhere, some empty and some full. 

Most of them are empty and Harry lifts one up over his head, only to be disappointed by the lack of coffee that doesn't drip out.

"They're almost-clues," he says, determined that these 'almost-clues' will hold all the answers he's looking for, putting his detective skills to good use and picking up more coffee cups. 

"What does that even mean?"

Tim doesn't even want to try and understand. He can understand Pikachu, of course, but anything the mouse actually _says_ is going right over his head most of the time.

"I'm trying to jog my memory, retrace my steps again. It helps me to see it all laid out. Plus, I'm too short now to put stuff on the wall. That's how I found this!"

Harry lifts up an empty vial. Well, almost empty...it seems like there's still a bit of that purple stuff leftover, and Tim stays back so he won't risk choking to death on it again. 

"This is what a Frenchman would call _caliente fiesta."_

"It's not French," Tim says with a sigh, bending down to start picking up the mess of papers. It's going to take _hours_ to clean all of it up and even make a dent in the floor.

He nearly bumps into Pikachu as he bends down again, and the Pokémon shoves a paw much too close to his face for comfort.

"Smell my finger," Harry orders.

Tim just stares. "I will never smell your finger."

"Coward," Harry accuses. "The point is, I smelled this R stuff on those Aipom when they attacked us yesterday. I'm a Pokémon now, my sense of smell is like ten times stronger."

There _are_ some advantages to being both a Pokémon and a detective. However weird and unnatural it might be, the two almost seem to go hand in hand. 

"R?" Tim isn't sure he wants to know. It's probably better off _not_ knowing, but it's also important. This R stuff is dangerous and they can't let it near anyone again, if possible. Smelling the stuff hadn't made him go crazy, but the Aipom had completely lost their minds. If R is spread throughout Ryme City and even beyond, nothing but chaos will ensue among Pokémon.

"Bingo! Watch this," he says, dipping a tiny finger into the vial.

"What are you doing?!" Tim questions, panic almost overtaking him. He may not have been affected by the R like the Aipom, but that's because he's _human,_ which Harry no longer is.

Pikachu lifts his finger back out before Tim can even try stepping forward to stop him. He brings his paw up to his nose and takes a sniff, his face distorting like he'd just eaten something sour, but otherwise... 

Tim manages to relax, at least a little.

"See? It didn't affect me—I'm not going crazy! I'm thinking it's because I'm actually a human, not a Pokémon, and this stuff doesn't affect humans like it does Pokémon." 

Harry takes the opportunity to use his chair and leap up onto the top of his desk, grabbing another empty coffee cup and throwing it aside. 

"I'm _also_ thinking I caught a break in the case, forcing our shadowy kingpin to send out hired goons to deliver the big _hush-hush."_

He places the desk lamp over his mouth, turning sharply in Tim's direction and nearly hitting him with it. Tim comes to the conclusion that he may be taking this 'interrogation' a bit too far.

"Like I said, we need to retrace my steps. Either solve the case ourselves, or get far enough along that this A-number-one bad guy has to reveal himself. Or _herself!"_

Harry shines the lamp directly in Tim's face.

"Can you stop doing that?" Tim is close to begging.

"But what this villain probably wasn't expecting is that you can talk to humans, and I can talk to Pokémon. We can talk to each other! It means we that we can find out some loopholes that no one else can!"

The fact that Pikachu can understand other Pokémon while he himself can understand _Pikachu_ is going to be pretty useful in this investigation, Tim has to admit.

"So what is the way in, huh? The answer is in this room." 

He gasps, ecstatic at finding a full cup of coffee, and probably the last one. But how can they find any _answers_ in this room? Harry doesn't let up slurping until that cup is empty, too.

"This isn't a room, this is a fire hazard. It's just junk and papers and...newspapers..."

 _Pokémon Parade Preparations_ stands out in the corner of his eye. 

"What you got, kid?" Harry asks as Tim bends down to pick up the newspaper, a milk mustache covering his mouth.

"I literally just met someone, she was a junior reporter at CNM. She was doing a story on Harry." 

Harry almost does a double take as Tim mentions him in third person, like he's not even here. Technically, he isn't. He's still stuck in the body of a Pikachu, and their deal had been that while he's a little electric mouse, he is _not_ Tim's father. 

"I think she knows more than she let on," Tim says, and Harry instantly agrees. 

"Haha, the smart ones always do. We gotta go down to her work and press her." 

"Okay," Tim agrees a little more than reluctantly.

"That's a metaphor," Harry makes sure he knows.

"Yeah, I know what a metaphor is."

Pikachu ignores him, crawling on all fours to try and keep up and prevent Tim from destroying any more of his clues and coffee cups that fall and clatter.

"I was drinking that. I was also drink—just step anywhere, it's only my life's work."

Without even really thinking about it, he climbs up his son's arm and sits on his shoulder. Or at least, he _attempts_ to sit on his shoulder. He probably should have thought it through a little more clearly.

Tim immediately refuses, of course. He just doesn't understand how tiring being a detective can be, especially now that he's a lot smaller. 

"No, no. We're not doing that. My dad sitting on his son's shoulders?" 

"What, you used to do the same with me!" 

More proof that this Pikachu is indeed his father is _exactly_ what he needs...not. 

"When I was how old?" 

"...Good point. Fine, I'll walk. I'm trying to get in a hundred thousand steps this hour."

Tim can only hope that CNM will have more answers than what they'd found in the apartment.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for no updates recently, but now that Merge to One is finished, I can focus all my attention on this! ^^
> 
> Let's play spot the difference in dialogue and who says what, because since Harry remembers who he is, he probably wouldn't say some of the things that Pikachu did when he didn't remember ;)

They make it into the CNM studio without any issues, much to Tim's relief. A familiar theme song is playing inside, and cameras are focused on two people that Tim recognizes from when he's seen them on the news himself.

"Together in the spirit of harmony, we're throwing the largest parade that Ryme City has ever seen. You won't want to miss it," Roger Clifford says, though it sounds more like he's faking his enthusiasm just for the cameras. "So at the weekend, we invite the people and the Pokémon to be there."

"A celebration of the harmony between humans and Pokémon," Howard Clifford finishes for his son.

"A lot more harmonious than you think," Harry murmurs, glancing down at his body and then back up at Tim. "We better get to the bottom of this before it happens to anyone else."

Tim instantly agrees. If anyone else got turned into a Pokémon, it would be chaos everywhere.

"And cut!" the director shouts.

"Well, I think that went rather well," Howard says as the crew begins to clean up around them. A Squirtle standing by eagerly washes off the set with a small spurt of water, and a crew member that must be its partner comes to mop up the remaining mess. A small and pink Ditto sits to wait for its own partner, watching Howard closely. They must be partners.

"Oh, shut up, Dad!" Roger practically yells, and Tim can't help but wince at the sharpness of his tone.

"Yeah, Roger wasn't always the nicest between the two," Harry notes as he watches them bicker. If only he had some popcorn to go with the show...

"You knew Howard and Roger?" Tim asks curiously.

"Of course I did. A detective has to work with all kinds of people, kid, including the not-so-nice ones," Harry answers simply. Being a detective means that he has to work with _all_ kinds of people, however cooperative or uncooperative they might be with a particular case.

"Roger, please. This is supposed to be our gift to the citizens," Howard says as gently as he can. His son looks like he's not having any of it, though.

"Visionary icon? Really? Was savior of the world taken?" Roger asks, a little too blatant with his disagreement over his father's lines.

"It was your people who wrote the promo, son," Howard begs to differ.

"Oh, is there an unabridged version where you cure cancer?" Roger retorts. Howard stares blankly for a moment without any response, and then he turns his wheelchair around to leave. Tim can't really blame him; he'd want to get out of there, too.

Ditto suddenly morphs into a human to assist its partner.

"Do you think he had something to do with faking your death?" Tim has to ask, glancing down towards Harry.

"Nah, the guy's too high profile, and so is his father. Howard created Ryme City, he practically owns everything including the RCPD," Harry says, trying his best to ignore a coffee maker that's sitting next to him on the food table. It just looks so _inviting_ and he could really use a cup right now to help him think, but Roger's voice pulls him back for a moment.

"Oh, that's right, yeah. Turn your back on me like you always did," Roger tells his father before Howard is completely out of the room.

 _Like I always did,_ Harry thinks mournfully, glancing up at Tim before looking away just as quick so he won't notice. His son doesn't seem to have picked up on the similarity. Okay, _now_ he needs that cup of coffee, inching closer to the coffee maker slowly.

"By the way, _no one_ likes your Pokémon!" Roger yells, waving his arms up in the air to shoo the Ditto away for good measure.

"Ditto!" the Ditto says, frowning in its human form and sticking its tongue out.

"Can't really argue with that one. Ditto have always been pretty creepy," Harry agrees with Roger, holding his new, steaming cup of coffee in both paws tightly.

Tim sighs at the sight. Coffee just _can't_ be good for a Pikachu, but it seems like once his father has his mind set on something, there's no changing it.

"How come?" he decides to ask anyway. What could be creepy about a small, pink blob? It's been so long since he's read up about certain Pokémon that he can't remember any reason why _Ditto_ would be considered 'creepy.'

"Trust me kid, you don't want to know," Harry answers, taking a carefree sip of his coffee.

"So why don't we just go up to Roger and tell him what happened to you? There has to be a way we can prove it. Then your story will get more coverage," Tim suggests, but Harry only shakes his head.

"It doesn't always work like that. You need a—"

Tim instantly cuts him off when he spots the one person they've been waiting for in the entire studio.

"There she is," his son says, pointing out a girl standing by and holding a clipboard.

All Harry can do is whistle. "I can see why you were so excited."

"I was not that excited," Tim argues, trying his best to keep the smile off of his face, or to stop himself from blushing in front of his father. He just met her. He doesn't even _know_ her!

"You should ask her out after this is all over," Harry says, giving his son a not-so-subtle wink.

"What? No, I'm not gonna ask her out, we just met yesterday!" Tim instantly disagrees.

"That's why you should ask her out! Get to know her a little better!" Harry hints, winking again.

Thankfully, Lucy interrupts before he can go on any further.

"Mr. Clifford!" she shouts to get the man's attention. He turns back around, obviously eager to get to his own mug filled with coffee that he's holding tightly in his hands.

"I may have a story for you. I've heard rumors of Pokémon attacking people, but there's been no mainstream coverage," Lucy says quietly, glancing around to make sure no one is listening.

 _Pokémon attacking people?_ Harry thinks, eyes widening. _That sounds a lot like what happened to us recently. How much does she really know?_

"I'm sorry, but we're not a tabloid, which means that we don't report on rumors, gossip or hearsay. It's not news if it can't be verified. You want a story...find a source," Roger says firmly.

"That's what I meant, kid. We need a source. Even if Roger believed us, he wouldn't want the story to go on air unless it's credible."

"Proving that a human turned into a Pikachu isn't credible enough?" Tim says quietly, more to himself than Pikachu. How could a human turning into a Pokémon _not_ be credible?

"He'll just think you're nuts. He won't believe you," Harry says, and Tim sighs. He's right about that; he doesn't need any more people thinking he's crazy like they had when the Aipom attacked them.

"Oh, and pro tip: a reasonable sense of fashion."

Ouch...

"See? He didn't believe her. Wouldn't even listen, and she probably has some kind of proof of the attacks, too."

Tim isn't even listening to _him,_ keeping his attention focused on the girl. He hopes she won't distract him _too_ much from the more important matter that they have on their hands...or paws. She finally catches sight of Tim waiting for her.

"Here she comes, here she comes. Try to look deep."

"What are you doing here?" Lucy asks Tim, obviously not expecting him there of all places.

"Hey again. Uh...yeah, I know this seems weird, but I actually needed to ask you something," Tim says, wondering if it's actually a good idea with what just happened between her and Roger.

Lucy blinks a little too rapidly, trying to hold back tears. "Now's not really a good time."

"Yeah, I saw that. I'm sorry," Tim says. Why had Roger been so harsh on her? He could have turned her story down a little easier than that.

 _Slurp,_ a noise interrupts. It sounds like someone drinking...coffee?

Lucy glances behind Tim and catches sight of Pikachu.

"Sorry. It's piping hot," Harry apologizes, though he doesn't really mean it. The coffee here is just...so... _good!_ Almost as good as the Hi-Hat Café's, but not quite. If he could, he'd take some home.

"You found yourself a Pokémon partner," Lucy says with a smile, moving towards Pikachu.

"Not exactly, he's actually my—"

She reaches a hand down to scratch underneath his chin.

"He's cute," she coos, but Pikachu just chuckles. Tim is glad that she'd interrupted what he had been about to tell her. How could he explain it? Besides, they'd made a deal that he _isn't_ his father for the time being.

"She's trying to work me, kid. But trust me, I—"

Lucy hits a sweet spot, and Tim grins as he gives in.

"Oh, sweet mother of Arceus, that feels so good," Harry whispers, a back leg thumping quickly up and down. "What happened?"

Okay. Once Tim has enough, he looks to Lucy and back to the real reason they're here.

"So, listen. I found something on Harry's desk," he says softly, holding out the vial that he had found. "Nearly choked me to death, and I was..."

"No, not here," Lucy whispers, clasping a hand around the vial so no one else in the studio will see. "In my office."

She nods, motioning for them to follow.

"In her office? We're going to her office?" Harry says in an excited whisper.

Tim ignores him, and they soon find themselves in a tiny office near the back of the building.

"This is great. This isn't an office, it's a coffin with pencils," Harry takes note, staring around intently at said office.

"Psyduck?" Lucy's yellow partner asks when it notices how he's directing his words towards Tim. Something that shouldn't be possible, but it currently _is._

"Yeah, that's right. I can talk to the kid, he can talk to me. We're father and son," Harry lets him know calmly.

Psyduck doesn't exactly remain calm, his eyes bulging once he processes what Harry had just told him.

"I'm actually human," Harry explains to the best of his ability, and in a way that Psyduck will hopefully understand. "I got turned into a Pikachu, but I don't remember how. That's what we're trying to figure out."

"You didn't tell me that she has a Psyduck!" he scolds Tim. It would have been nice to know! "These things explode when they're stressed!"

Speaking of stressed, Psyduck is currently holding his head and making whimpering sounds. That...that can't be good, right? Harry assumes that it's because of what he told him about originally being human, which is _not_ something a Pokémon is supposed to be.

"Just stay calm, it's okay. I'm not going to stay like this forever, everything will go back to the way it was," Harry says as calmly as he can. He's done a pretty good job of it himself, he has to admit. Waking up in the body of a Pikachu _had_ been pretty freaky, but he's managed to stay relatively calm and he doesn't need Psyduck to ruin it now.

But he does have to wonder if he's really comforting Psyduck or himself. What if he _never_ gets back to normal?

Probably both. He can't start freaking out again now! That horrifying thought shouldn't even be a _possibility._

"Here it is," Lucy suddenly says, spilling an entire zip-locked bag of purple-filled vials onto her desk.

"I told you she has proof!" Harry whispers.

"Where did you find these?" Tim asks, his eyes going wide at the familiar vials.

"Word on the street was that Harry had an informant near the docks. I went there to snoop around and that's where I found the vials, but the docks can be dangerous. It's not the sort of place you want to visit alone at night."

Tim says it before he can even think of stopping himself. He has no idea where it came from...

"I'm actually pretty good at being alone at night."

Silence. Harry can't believe his son just said _that._

"Nope, that did not land right at all."

"That's not...that's not what I meant to say. Um..."

"It's okay," Lucy says softly.

"I'm just gonna...we should go, so I'm just going to scoot by you," Tim says as they make their way out of her office, probably never to come back again.

"Yeah. Yeah, we should go. Good God, have you ever talked to a woman before?"

"Yes, I've talked to women before. No, I don't need help from a Pikachu."

Harry frowns. He's _not_ a Pikachu, but he still has to hold up his end of the deal. "Was it during the birth canal, or..."

Lucy watches the two of them leave. Something... _weird_ is definitely going on here, and she's going to get to the bottom of it.

xxxx

"I'm so...tired," Harry groans, panting as they walk through the night. Large crates are all around them and towering over them. He cowers, only just now realizing how... _big_ the world is compared to him.

"You can't be tired already, we've only been walking for less than five minutes," Tim says up ahead, his voice echoing back to him.

Harry plops himself to the ground, panting. "I can't take it anymore. Just go on without me..."

Tim turns back around, glaring. He keeps going, but his pace is slow, at least. "I'm very tempted."

The only thing he wants is for this case to be solved so he can go _home,_ but he's not about to tell his father that. He doesn't need to know what he's planning yet.

"Please. Every step for you is a thousand for me, and my lungs are currently the size of grapes. I'm not used to taking such small baby steps!"

"I'm leaving," Tim says, his steps becoming quicker. Harry's eyes widen.

He wouldn't. He still has to help him solve his own case! Tim wouldn't _leave_ just like that...

But he _is._ He's much farther ahead now.

"Okay, I'm coming. Wait!" he calls, scrambling to get up. He has to run until he's finally beside Tim again.

"What is that?" his son questions. Harry looks in the same direction, gasping at what appears to be another Pokémon straight ahead of them.

"Oh! _That_ is a Mr. Mime. Silent but annoying, but if you can manage to get inside their head, they have all kinds of information..."

Harry trails off, realization hitting him almost instantly. Tim's eyes light up at nearly the same time, and he looks down at him.

"Your informant was—"

"My informant was a Pokémon!" Harry finishes, nose twitching in barely-contained excitement. Maybe Mr. Mime has more information that they need!

"He's barely moving," Tim says as they run to reach him before he can get away.

Except he's not really getting away.

"Don't tell him that. Oh! He's on a bike. Come on, he thinks he's getting away. Get in front of him, cut him off, you can make it!"

Tim reaches his hands out. "Stop."

As if on cue, Mr. Mime stops and falls, flailing to the ground.

"Oh, no. He's going down hard, Tim. Should've worn a helmet, like your mom and I would tell you. I hope he makes it..." Harry murmurs.

"Come on, this is ridiculous," Tim groans. "Let's just get inside and question him."

xxxx

The warehouse is dim, but not for long.

"Okay, you're bigger and tougher than I am right now. Stand up straight!" Harry whispers loudly to his son.

The warehouse light snaps on. Mr. Mime raises his arms so he isn't blinded.

"Listen up. We got ways to make you talk...or mime," Harry begins eagerly, his face scrunched in concentration.

"Yeah," Tim agrees. They can do this!

"So tell us what we wanna know. Why was I here and what did it have to do with the R?"

Mr. Mime shakes his head, confused and pointing at the Pikachu sitting on the stool in front of him.

"I think he's confused," Tim notes, and Harry looks down at himself. He's been here once before, but that had been when he was still human. If he'd also questioned this Mr. Mime once before too, then he probably wouldn't recognize him as a Pikachu.

Understandable.

"I'm Harry," he says slowly so the Pokémon can process his words, but Mr. Mime just shakes his head in even more confusion.

Also understandable.

"This is Harry Goodman," Tim forces himself to say.

 _My father who got turned into a Pikachu,_ the thought echoes cruelly, but he pushes it into the back of his mind.

"He got turned into a Pikachu," Tim says aloud to more firmly concrete his thin belief, "and we need to find out how before it happens to anyone else."

Tim holds out the purple-filled vial that they'd found, and Mr. Mime nods quickly in sudden understanding and eyes lighting up in recognition towards Harry, if a little in disbelief, too.

"Pipe. Yes, okay. A can!" Harry starts.

Mr. Mime shakes his head, pushing his arms to the side.

"Shoving. Pushing. My problem is that I push people away and then hate them for leaving."

 _Sounds too familiar..._ Harry can't help but think. It seems a lot like what he does with people he's close to. Especially Tim. He shakes away the thought, bringing his attention back to the most important matter currently at hand.

"He's saying you can shove it," Tim translates.

"What? What kind of cool-kid language is that? I can shove it? Okay, that's it. We're switching roles, I'm bad cop, you're good cop."

"No, no, no, we're not cops!" Tim shouts, but Harry doesn't listen and jumps into the air—

Only to slide face-first down an invisible wall that feels too much like a _literal_ wall covered in something hard like bricks, his hat falling off of his head.

"That's a very hard wall. I'm probably going to feel that tomorrow," Harry moans, rubbing his back and placing his hat on his head again.

"Oh yeah, Mr. Mime has the ability to make invisible walls." Tim had almost forgotten that little fact about Mr. Mime, but now he's starting to remember more and more.

"Yes, I know, I happen to be a Pokémon at the moment too, remember?"

Of _course_ Tim remembers. How could he forget the fact that his father had been turned into a Pikachu?

Tim bends down to his level, an idea forming.

"Look, you figured this guy out somehow. I think the trick is getting inside his head, like you said earlier."

He glances towards Mr. Mime for a split second. He's made himself comfortable cross-legged in a seat, invisible glass clinking as he sips.

"What are you doing?" Harry questions, unsure of where his son is going with this when he reaches a hand out towards a doorknob he can't exactly _see._

"Oh, there's a door there, I didn't realize...probably because it's invisible."

Mr. Mime stares on in shock that Tim had actually figured out how to _get inside_ his room.

"Huh? Yeah! I'm in your space now, am I right? You don't like this so much, do you?"

He bends down to unscrew the top of... _something_ that Harry can't really make out, because it's still invisible. Whatever it is, it sounds heavy like it's filled with water sloshing around inside.

"Okay...that's a jug. No, you're pouring."

"No."

"Salt. It's a salt shaker, you're cooking."

"No."

"Real cooking is about following your heart, not a recipe!"

Tim has to mentally slap himself so he won't drop whatever it is that he's holding. "What are you talking about?"

"It's what your mom used to say," Harry says quietly. Tim stops for a moment, looking back at him with a softer expression.

Mr. Mime breaks the silence by waving a hand over his behind. Harry gasps, momentarily forgetting his grief at the reminder of his wife.

"Gas. You're pouring gasoline on...oh, that went dark _fast."_ Who knew his son had such a dark side? He's not sure if he should be proud or worried.

Mr. Mime is trembling now as Tim gets the gasoline all over him. Bending down once again, he lights an invisible match. But Mr. Mime is quick to realize what he's doing, and simply blows the match out.

"Alright, alright."

Tim lights another, but Mr. Mime only puts it out with his fingers. Tim is honestly at a loss where to go from here, but Harry is finally getting the whole picture of what his son wants to accomplish.

"Sometimes a detective's gotta do what a detective's gotta do to get the information he needs," Harry says, using his own imagination to pick up a smaller container of gasoline. He pours it outside of Mr. Mime's room all the way to the door that Tim had gone inside of.

Horror crosses Tim's face for a split second, but then a grin overtakes his fear of what his father is about to do when Pikachu lights a match from outside. He pours the rest of his gasoline around Mr. Mime, hurrying outside of the room and making sure it's good and locked so there's no way for Mr. Mime to escape.

"That's right. You're about to be _Mr. Melt_ if you don't start talking...miming, I mean," Tim says, triumphant. They might actually be getting somewhere with this! The sooner they solve his father's case, the better.

Mr. Mime waves his hands forward like he's handing out cards.

"Cards, playing cards. Poker?" Tim asks. Maybe they _aren't_ getting anywhere with this. "This is stupid. We aren't getting anywhere."

"No, relax," Harry reassures his son calmly. "I think he's talking about the gas...someone was handing out R?"

A smile splits Mr. Mime's face and he nods, excited that someone finally gets it.

"Uh...round. Roundhouse, uh..." Harry whispers to himself. The name seems strikingly familiar...

Getting the information they need is still taking too long. Tim holds his match over the gas, threatening to drop it. Mr. Mime's eyes bulge, and he uses his hands again to form a circle over the top of his head.

"The source of the R came from the Roundhouse!" Tim exclaims.

Mr. Mime nods, wiping his forehead in relief that he _isn't_ going to be burnt to a crisp.

"Nice work, kid. Maybe there's a little detective in you after all. I think I've been to this place before," Harry says, deep in thought. He might have been to the Roundhouse, but there's no way of knowing for sure unless they go there themselves.

Which is _exactly_ what they're planning on doing next.

"I learned from the best. A detective's gotta do what a detective's gotta do, right?"

It came out before Tim had even realized what he was saying; too late to take it back now, but does he really want to? He might not be a detective like Harry, but they had figured Mr. Mime out together.

Harry blinks, shock nearly overcoming him at Tim's unexpected praise.

It causes him to drop his invisible match that he'd been holding over the poured gasoline, and Mr. Mime lets out a silent gasp.

_Oops._


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember how this story is canon divergence? Well, it's really going to diverge in this chapter x)

The first thing Tim notices as they enter the Roundhouse is that it's _loud,_ and for good reason. Blue and yellow-mouthed Loudred are helping out the beat that's blaring through speakers, vibrating almost painfully in Tim's ears. He doesn't exactly mind, since there's a battle going on to distract them from the Loudred and blaring music.

If he remembers his Pokémon right, it seems to be a battle between a Blastoise and a Gengar. One water type and one ghost type. He'd forgotten how wonderfully creepy Gengar is, almost having to look away from its rotten and yellow teeth when the ghost flies quickly by him from behind a cage. A large crowd is cheering the two on as Blastoise sprays Gengar with water. The purple ghost sticks its tongue out, and Tim can't help but grin to himself; it's just like the battles he used to watch on TV, one between a Nidorino and another Gengar.

"I didn't know they had Pokémon battles in Ryme City," Tim says, leaning against the gate so his arms stick out.

"We're not supposed to," Harry informs him, following suit and climbing up onto the gate himself so he can get a better look. If only Tim would let him sit on his shoulders...

Blastoise groans from inside the cage as dark and purple spinning balls smash into it.

"Gengar uses Shadow Ball!" the battle announcer says from behind the loud speakers.

Blastoise attempts to shoot out water again, only to miss when Gengar separates into multiple versions of itself.

 _Double team,_ Tim tries testing his memory. Sure enough, _double team_ appears on the screen behind the battle. In turn, Blastoise curls up into a ball and sprays gallons of water in all different directions.

"Come on, let's take a look around," Harry says, and Tim agrees. He leads the way through the crowd, trying his best not to get stepped on or trampled as more people hurry forward to see the end of the battle. Tim ignores a tank that holds a Magikarp; they're the worst. They're _useless_ floppy fish...unless they evolve into Gyarados.

Out of the corner of Tim's eye, he thinks he can see a lady in dark clothes with blonde hair watching them. Should he tell Pikachu? But when he turns his head to try and get a better look, she's gone.

Tim shrugs to himself. Maybe he'd just imagined it...

He turns his attention back to Pikachu.

"Okay, kid. So here's what we know," he says, crawling underneath the DJ stand. The closer they get to the music, the louder it gets. "I traced the R to here, then frequented this joint because someone here knows something about something. We just need to find the someone and the something."

Harry scans the arena for any signs of the purple gas, but he can't see any that might be affecting the two Pokémon that are still battling against each other. One of the DJs is getting up to take a drink of water. He's wearing a dark coat, but there's no shirt underneath.

"How about that guy? He looks like he might know something," Harry says, pointing Shirtless out to Tim.

"How do _you_ know he knows something?" his son asks, a lot more unsure.

"Call it a detective's instinct. Go on, go up to him and just ask about R," Harry says, waving his arms forward in the shirtless DJ's direction.

"Just like that?" Tim is even more unsure that they should be bringing unwanted attention to themselves. The guy is probably not going to appreciate being accused of something he may or may not be doing in the already-illegal Pokémon battles.

"It'll throw him off guard and he'll _have_ to tell us what he knows so this place won't get shut down. I'll be right there with you," Harry attempts to reassure Tim, but it's not exactly working. It's doing _anything_ but working. He can't just go up to someone and accuse them that they have something to do with R!

Much to his dismay, that's _exactly_ what he's doing.

"Uh, hi..." Tim says, a little more than awkwardly as he walks up to the man that's just wearing a coat with no shirt underneath it. Now that he's closer, he notices a Charizard that's tattooed onto his bare chest. What is he _doing?_ Pikachu is crazy! This whole thing is crazy!

"Who are you?" the man asks after he finishes drinking from his water bottle, staring hard right into his soul. Tim isn't sure if he succeeds at hiding himself cringe. The guy doesn't really need to know who he is...

"I was going to ask you the same question," he says simply, hoping that he'll get distracted enough to forget asking him about his own name.

"Sebastian," the man answers with little hesitation. "What do you want?"

Tim figures he might as well just go along with it. He's gotten this far already, he can't stop now and just walk away.

"I was just wondering if you knew someone named Harry who came here a little recently," he says uncertainly. Pikachu's ears twitch as the yellow mouse listens in carefully on the conversation.

"Harry? Doesn't ring a bell," Sebastian answers with not too much thought put into it. He's eager to get back to the battles and music, but before he can leave, Tim catches his attention again.

"He's actually a detective," Tim says, sticking with present tense for now. The guy doesn't need to know that Harry is 'dead.' Right?

"And why would a detective come snooping around my place?" Sebastian questions with a slight glare.

"Come on, tell him. I'm right here," Harry encourages, nodding brightly.

Tim sighs. If he wants this case solved, he just has to get this part over with.

"Look. I think you know something about a little purple gas something. If you just tell me where it came from, we'll be out of your hair," Tim lets Sebastian know as calmly as he can.

Sebastian glares harder.

"You can't just come into my place and tell me what to do. How do I know you won't just call the cops once I let you go? You have _no_ idea what you're up against."

Tim does the only thing he can think of, pulling his phone out of his pocket. "So tell me or I'll call the cops right here, right now."

"Gengar wins. Ready for next battle," the announcer booms in the background on the speakers. Blastoise faints to the floor, knocked out and unable to continue. The ghost floats upwards to the audience, grinning its rotten teeth and sticking its tongue out in victory.

"How about this. I want a battle with your Pikachu."

Tim inwardly groans at 'your' Pikachu. The Pikachu is not his partner, and he's _definitely_ not his father.

"You win, I'll tell you what I know," Sebastian continues. "You lose...you leave without any info and never come back, and don't even think of calling the cops. I have friends who can follow you for a long time to make sure that happens," Sebastian finishes. Tim blinks, unsure of how to respond to a deal like that. Sebastian wants to take him on...in a _Pokémon battle?_

He thinks on it for a moment.

"Tim," Pikachu whispers as he climbs down from underneath the stand to tug at his leg.

He can remember most when it comes to battles. How could he ever forget the _battles?_ He'd watch them on TV over and over again as a kid...

"Tim!" Pikachu whispers harshly.

Maybe they might be able to pull this off...

"You're on," Tim agrees, feeling a little more confident than before. Sebastian nods, pleased with his answer.

 _"Tim!"_ Pikachu shouts so loudly that it finally manages to catch his attention.

 _"What?"_ Tim hisses, glancing down at the electric mouse that's staring up at him with a little too much fear in his eyes.

They don't even know what Pokémon he's going up against! Sebastian never said!

"I think now might be a good time to mention that I don't actually know how to use my powers," Pikachu says, wringing his paws together nervously.

Tim laughs without really meaning to before the gravity of Pikachu's words hit him full-force.

"What?! But you said you were going to electrocute me!" he shouts, not caring the slightest if people are looking at him like he's nuts for screaming at a Pikachu as if he understands what he's saying. But Tim knows that Pikachu can understand him just as much as he can understand Pikachu, and this is _not good._

"I may have been bluffing..." Pikachu admits slowly, unsure if it's something he should be admitting _now_ of all times.

Sebastian leaves the two to their own little battle to get his Pokémon that he'll use in the fight, and Pikachu's eyes bulge ten times their normal size when he comes back with an all-too familiar orange Pokémon with very large wings.

A Pokémon that Harry knows he stands no chance against.

Oh, _Arceus._ It's a Charizard...he's bringing out a _Charizard,_ and the first thing Harry notices is that the Pokémon doesn't have a single scar on him, which can only mean the worst: it's a highly _experienced_ Charizard that must have won a lot more battles than he'd lost.

"You said you were also going to use your cheeks as defibrillators!" Tim shouts, anger easily coursing through him at the fact that Pikachu had _lied._

"That was also bluffing! Just tell the guy we forfeit!" Pikachu begs. "How could you get me into this mess?!"

"A new battle's unfolding. Pikachu versus Charizard!" the announcer blares through the speakers, ringing in Tim's ears, but the only thing he can focus on is Pikachu.

"I was following _your_ advice," he accuses sharply. "There's no running from a trainer battle!"

"You aren't a trainer! I'm not a Pokémon! This isn't going to end well!" Pikachu cries lamely, realization only hitting him harder that he's not getting out of this like he thought.

"It's either you battle and we get what we want, or I'm going to be stalked for the rest of my life!" Tim yells over the crowd that's screaming louder as a new battle is about to begin.

Harry stops panicking the best that he can for a moment. He takes slow, deep breaths in a pitiful attempt to calm his racing heart. If he doesn't do this, Sebastian had made a promise that his friends would follow Tim. No one threatens his son like that... _no one._ He _has_ to do this in order to protect Tim. He'd lied about being able to use electricity like a normal Pikachu would. Of course, he'd tried at some point after he had stopped freaking out about his new body, but his electricity didn't work. He had come to the conclusion that it was because he's not really a Pikachu, and he just doesn't know how to use his powers. Yet...

He has to _try_ for Tim and make up for the fact that he'd lied. Plus, he also wants to get back to being human again faster, doesn't he?

Harry sighs at the desperate and fearful look on his son's face. Tim should _not_ be living in fear for the rest of his life that someone might be following him.

"Hold my hat," he says, just as reluctant as how he feels. "Promise you'll look after it if something happens to me," Harry finishes regretfully as Tim opens the fighting gate for him to go inside.

"You'll be fine. Just concentrate," Tim tries...and _fails_ to reassure him as he enters the fighting ring. He cringes as the gate slams shut behind him; there's no going back now.

Sebastian and Charizard prepare themselves from across the arena, and the purple substance that fills the air around Charizard is unmistakable. The flying Pokémon's eyes bulge and turn purple, as well. Sebastian rubs his nose, uttering reassuring words to him that he's going to win and Senastian won't have to give up any information.

Harry immediately rushes back towards the closed gate. "Give me my hat back! That thing just chugged a year's worth of that R stuff!"

"Hey, just relax. Think like a Pokémon. Charizard is weak against electric types since it's also a flying type, and Pikachu can use Quick Attack, Discharge or Electro Ball, but I think Volt Tackle is your best move, so start with that."

"First of all," Harry begins, his breathing almost out of control. He can't believe it. His own _son_ is trying to teach him how to win a Pokémon battle! It should be the other way around! "When did you learn how to be a Pokémon Trainer? And secondly, get me the _hell_ out of here!" Harry ends, grabbing the gate with both paws and shaking it.

If the situation wasn't so dire, Tim would have laughed that a _Pikachu_ of all Pokémon had just said such a strong word. If the Pikachu wasn't his father, he would question how he even knew the word 'hell' in the first place if it wasn't something that a partner he might have had possibly said around him.

"Begin!" the announcer shouts.

Charizard bursts out of his gate seconds later, barely giving Harry any time to react.

"I can't do this! Just let me back in!"

"You have to _try!_ You need to go for a critical hit, use Volt Tackle!" Tim screams from behind the gate, following Pikachu the best he can as the electric mouse races away from his impending doom.

"I don't want to! Volt Tackle will just knock me out, what if I electrocute myself?!" Harry screams back. He's really a human, he could just as easily shock himself!

Tim smacks himself in the face a little too hard. "You're a Pikachu now, you _won't_ electrocute yourself!"

Harry all too quickly finds himself backed up against the gate with nowhere to go. He's sure that if there wasn't a Charizard after him at the moment, then his own fast-pounding heart would be the cause of his demise.

"You don't want to do this! I'm adorable!" he tries desperately, backing up further against the gate as Charizard inches closer.

Of course the one time he actually _wouldn't_ mind being called adorable for the hundredth time doesn't work. This Charizard probably doesn't even understand what 'adorable' means and only sees him as a tasty meal, charging closer with its mouth wide open and preparing to finish him off. A big ball of fire is starting to form inside, and Charizard is getting ready to breathe the flame right on to him...

"Pika, pika..." Harry whimpers, curling into a ball to protect himself the best that he can and squeezing his eyes shut.

The Charizard suddenly screeches like it's in pain, and Harry is sure that he hasn't attempted to use any electricity yet. Peeking one eye open and then another when it seems like the coast is clear, he glances forward to see that Charizard's tail flame is now being stomped on by _Tim,_ who must have gotten into the arena to try and protect him.

"Are you crazy? Get out of there!" Sebastian yells.

Charizard huffs, turning his head in Tim's direction when he manages to get his tail free.

"Tim!" Harry cries, reaching a paw out helplessly. He has to do something! His son is in _danger_ and he's just lying on the ground!

Charizard growls, and now he's moving slowly _towards_ Tim.

Harry scrambles up, waving his arms. It's useless, since Charizard isn't even facing his direction.

"Hey! Over here!"

Charizard ignores him, and he's now closer to Tim than before.

 _Come on, come on, come on,_ Harry encourages himself, reminding himself of what Tim had told him. _Think like a Pokémon. Think like a Pikachu! Where is Pikachu's electricity stored?_

Golden flashes spark out of both corners of his eyes. He doesn't even have any time to think. All he _knows_ is that he has to protect Tim. He has to protect his son with his life, if that's what it's come down to. He just barely feels himself raising his arms to rub both of his red-circled cheeks to activate that one little spark he needs.

The electricity bursts from his very being, both inside and out. The burning is unexpected and overwhelming, like fire rushing through the inside of his body at such an alarming rate that it makes his head spin out of control. If he was a normal Pikachu, he probably wouldn't even notice the burning sensation and overwhelming power.

"What are you doing to my baby?!" he thinks he can hear Sebastian shout. Like Tim had barged into the arena to protect him, Sebastian does the same in order to try and protect his Charizard from the electric surge.

"Charizard fainted! Pikachu wins!" the announcer shouts, disbelief clear in his amplified voice.

"No!" Sebastian cries. From what little Harry can make out behind blurry eyes, his coat is now torn from top to bottom in a jagged line, his dark hair singed. He's giving Tim a death glare and Harry would shoot out another burst of power in his direction if he wasn't so _tired._

 _Did I do that?_ he has to wonder, staring at the damage he'd done to the coat, and Charizard lying on the ground next to him in a daze. Harry doesn't know whether he should be afraid or proud of himself, but a fresh scar is now lining Charizard's face. Did he really just pull off...a _Thunderbolt?_

"Cops!" someone suddenly shouts. There's screaming and people scattering everywhere; he's lucky he's still in the closed-off battle arena so he won't be trampled.

"Pikachu!" he's pretty sure he can recognize Tim's frantic voice among the chaos.

Everything starts to fade away slowly, darkness inching around the corners of his vision.

The last thing he hears before the darkness completely envelopes him are the sound of sirens that can only mean one thing.

xxxx

Tim raises his hands as the police approach, thankfully putting Sebastian in cuffs so maybe he's _not_ going to be followed for the rest of his life. He hadn't called the police himself; Pikachu's powerful surge of electricity must have alerted them somehow, and they came on their own.

"Tell me what you know," he says calmly, not in a demanding tone before the police lead him away.

He and Pikachu had won the battle fair and square. Extremely _unexpectedly,_ but still fair and square.

"The source of the R came from the doctor. That's all I know," Sebastian admits quietly. "Don't hurt my baby," he adds toward the police that approach Charizard shaking off the last of the R. His bright and purple eyes fade back to normal and he blinks, whining softly like a puppy as Sebastian is taken away.

One of the cops turns to Tim, and he smiles sheepishly.

"You're under arrest, too."

Tim kneels down next to Pikachu, tentatively reaching out a hand to stroke his soft fur. He's alive and breathing, thank Arceus, but he's knocked out _cold._

"The lieutenant isn't going to be very happy about this," one of the officers says.

Pikachu _lied_ about knowing how to use his powers, threatening to electrocute him when he'd first walked into the apartment.

He just _had_ to figure out how to use his powers at the right moment to save him from a Charizard on R.

It hits him that he's probably in a lot of trouble at this point. The Pikachu that's actually his _father_ is knocked out from using too much power for probably the first time since waking up as a Pikachu. He won't be able to back him up (or at least try to, since he can't actually _talk_ ) if he tries to explain who the Pikachu really is. He hadn't been able to prove it to the lieutenant before when he told Tim he'd made an attempt already, but now that he has his own translator, it would be a lot easier to prove that he's...

Tim doesn't want to think about that. He's too angry that Pikachu _lied_ and he won't be able to help explain everything to Yoshida.

Wait...

Just _how_ is he going to explain all of this to Yoshida?


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Friendly reminder that since Harry doesn't have amnesia, he probably wouldn't bond as quickly with Tim as he did when he was Pikachu and didn't remember. Wow, that seems even more sad when you type it all out xD

The lieutenant is anything but happy, just as the officer had predicted.

"I thought you couldn't wait to get home," Yoshida says as they walk into his office. Snubbull isn't anywhere to be seen, but that's the least of Tim's worries.

"I'm leaving soon, my plans just kind of changed because of him," he says, nodding down towards Pikachu in his arms. The electric mouse is still out of it, his eyes shut tight and both of his paws resting against his chest as if he's in pain. Tim hopes he isn't; that Thunderbolt must have taken a lot of energy out of him, that's all. He still shouldn't have lied about not being able to use his powers, though...then none of it would have happened in the first place. Then again, he wouldn't have gotten the information he needed from Sebastian.

 _The doctor..._ that can't be good. If he gets out of this mess, they'll have to find out just what Sebastian meant by _doctor,_ especially if this doctor has anything to do with creating R.

"What are you doing with that Pikachu? I thought I got it to go away, it kept following me," Yoshida breaks Tim out of his thoughts, eyeing Pikachu with slight annoyance that it's apparently back to trouble him again. The only difference is that the last time he'd seen the Pokémon, it had been wearing a tiny detective hat that reminded him too much of the precinct's late legend. Harry...it had to have been placed on the Pikachu's head as some kind of sick joke.

If only the lieutenant knew the truth...which is probably a good idea at this point, if only to stay out of further trouble.

"What if Harry isn't dead?" Tim asks cautiously. When he'd first arrived in Ryme City and met Yoshida, the man had seemed pretty broken up about Harry's death. Tim himself hadn't really felt much; he'd barely known his father and hadn't seen the guy in _years._ He just had a somewhat numb feeling wandering around the apartment before Pikachu had made himself known, especially when he'd come upon a very unexpected room that was obviously meant to be _his_ at some point, like maybe his father actually did care and he'd been the insensitive one all this time.

"I'm not sure I understand," Yoshida says, his eyes starting to glisten slightly at the mention of the supposedly-late detective.

"What if he's here right now in this room?" Tim goes on further, his grip tightening just the slightest around Pikachu for comfort. He reaches down to pull the small hat out of his pocket that he'd kept close while Pikachu had battled against Charizard. "This. He was wearing this. It's Harry's hat."

It's _much_ too small to be Harry's hat, Yoshida's confused (but mostly concerned) expression is obviously saying, the confusion overriding his tears that he's trying to hide and turning into even more conern. Tim thinks it over for a second. Just _how_ could it be Harry's hat, anyway? He comes to the conclusion that maybe when he'd been transformed, his clothes must have shrunk too and the only reason he isn't wearing a shirt or pants is because he has fur now, instead.

"Tim, I'm not sure what you're trying to say," he eventually lets him know when Tim doesn't continue, silently hoping that Yoshida will just put two and two together on his own.

This would be so much easier if Pikachu was actually awake to help him out...but he isn't, and Tim has to stop his frustration from getting the better of him. When Pikachu wakes up however, that will be a different story.

"What if...he was investigating something called R and he almost figured it out, so the people involved turned him into a Pikachu so he'd stay quiet?" Tim does his best to explain without sounding _too_ crazy.

Okay...now that he's saying it out loud, it sounds _really_ crazy.

"We ran an investigation on R, it's over," Yoshida states calmly and firmly.

It must not have been a very good investigation if Sebastian still had R on his hands and had still been giving it to his Charizard.

"Just ask the guy you actually arrested tonight. R is still out there," Tim says, refusing to back down.

Yoshida's shoulders slump just the slightest and hope flares. Maybe with the lieutenant's help, this case will be solved a lot faster.

"I'll consider it," he says softly when he realizes that Tim isn't going to give up as easily as he thinks. He never expected that he would possibly be reopening Harry's case, and he's not sure how he feels about it. "Maybe you should go home and get some rest."

"Yeah...okay. I'll do that," Tim agrees, and Yoshida nods. At least now, they might have more help. Maybe almost getting arrested and Yoshida being angry with him was all worth it in the end, but he's still mad at Pikachu for lying.

He just wants a nice bed to sleep in at this point. Not his childhood room recreation, definitely not the couch, but an actual bed. Should he just go home? _Home_ home, back in Leaventown? More than anything, he wants to get back on the train and just...leave. He can put Pikachu back in the apartment and then get out of here.

xxxx

Too late. Pikachu begins to wake up before he even enters the apartment.

"Ugh...what a rush," Harry mutters as he comes to his senses. He doesn't seem to be aware that Tim is holding him, and he doesn't have the chance to before he's staring up at an angry face directed at him from the couch opposite where he's lying. He gets up into an eager sitting position, ears flicking forward as the battle comes back to him.

"Tim, we did it! I beat Charizard! Can you believe it?" he wants to shout in victory, but manages to hold it in.

"No, I really can't," Tim replies, and Harry isn't sure he likes the slight edge in his tone, only just now realizing that Tim is actually _angry_ for some reason. Why would he be? They won! He hadn't been awake to witness it, but Sebastian had to have given Tim the information they need. They're one step closer to solving his case and getting him back to normal.

"Hey," he says softly, unsure if he should move any closer to his son to comfort him. He doesn't want to risk upsetting him further.

Still no answer. Prickles of anxiety run up and down his body.

"What is it? What's wrong?" he dares to ask again, and he flinches when Tim turns sharply on him from his end of the couch.

"You lied!" Tim shouts, very loudly and unexpectedly.

"Lied about what?" Harry questions, honestly confused. He hadn't lied about anything! Tim should be _happy,_ they won the battle and got the information they needed!

"You lied about knowing how to use electricity. First you said you didn't know how to use powers and then you did! Can you use them or not?"

Oh. _Oh._ Tim is unhappy that he hadn't mentioned not being able to use his own powers. Harry can see why it would make him upset, especially when he'd agreed to take Sebastian on in a battle so quickly. Maybe if he had said something about that little fact sooner, he wouldn't have had to battle Charizard. Of course, that also meant they wouldn't have gotten what they needed and Tim would have been stalked forever, something Harry would definitely never let happen.

"I can now! All I knew was that I had to protect you. When that Charizard was charging at you, my heart almost stopped," Harry says in his defense. He hates thinking about what _could_ have happened if he hadn't figured out how to use his electricity.

Tim can't contain himself, all of his built-up frustration too much to handle. "Well, while you were out of it, I almost got arrested and had to explain everything to Yoshida by myself!"

Harry can't help it, either. He explodes right back without really meaning to, ignoring his inner voice that's telling him he should try his best to keep it together, that he shouldn't fall into the same trap.

He fails. It's been so long since he's last seen his son. They just won a huge battle with a Charizard, and he wakes up to Tim yelling at him?

"I didn't say that I knew how to use my powers! You should have asked first before agreeing to battle! Think before you act!"

Is that a... _dad_ tone he's using? It's an angry-dad tone, something Tim hasn't heard in _years_ and he doesn't like it one bit, no matter how unfitting and hilarious it sounds coming from the body of a tiny Pikachu. Harry has no right to be using _that_ kind of tone with him. He's an adult, for crying out loud! He just turned twenty-one!

Which is something that Harry forgets much too easily. He still sees a young child who needs a time out.

The words leave his mouth before he can stop them.

"Just go to your room."

Tim can't take it anymore. He's here in Ryme City with his _father_ of all people who's been turned into a Pikachu. He shouldn't be here; he needs to get back home to his grandma, his job, his _life_ and just forget that he'd ever run into a crazy talking Pikachu.

Before he knows it, Tim finds himself by the door of his childhood room. He slams the door shut, his heart pounding out of control. He can't handle this...it's too much like when he was younger and he'd get angry, and his parents would send him to his room. Most of the time, it had been Harry that had to be the bad guy, especially before he'd left to live in Ryme City after his mother passed. It left a bad taste in Tim's mouth, forcing him to remember the bad times more than the good as he made the decision to cut Harry out of his life with as little contact as possible.

Harry is lucky he hadn't just walked out of the apartment door.

xxxx

The smell of breakfast wafts under Tim's nose and for a startling second of hope, he believes his mother is in the kitchen preparing waffles and eggs. But he knows that can't be possible, because she's...gone. There's only one other person...or Pokémon that can be making breakfast at this early hour.

Reluctantly fighting the urge to stay in the bed he'd been forced to sleep in and wish the past two days' events had all been just a nightmare, Tim gets up. He gets dressed and goes into the front of the apartment, unsure of whether he should call it the family room or living room.

 _Family_ doesn't seem appropriate yet.

It's much cleaner than it had been when Pikachu had laid out all of his clues on the floor. Even the miniature coffee cups are gone, and Tim figures that Pikachu must have stayed up all night to clean his own mess.

Tim is somewhat surprised to see Pikachu himself sitting on the couch in front of the coffee table. What Tim _isn't_ surprised to see is a cup of coffee sitting on the table, his paws wrapped tightly around it. There's also a glass of orange juice that must be meant for him. Looking off to the side in the small kitchen, there's a chair that Pikachu probably used to place near the cabinets so he could reach the cups.

He doesn't know what to say to break the awkward silence that follows, so he just moves to sit next to the orange juice and Pikachu on the couch. He guesses that the Pokémon isn't quite ready to risk setting the apartment on fire by trying to make pancakes or waffles like his mom used to, what with him not being tall enough to reach the stove.

"Check this out," Pikachu says with a grin, and it's only just now that Tim notices the plate in front of the yellow mouse with two pieces of white bread that haven't been touched yet.

Tim finds it almost amusing when Pikachu lifts both pieces of bread to his cheeks not close enough to touch so fur wouldn't get all over them, but close enough so the static that emerges from both cheeks connects with the bread and gently toasts them until they're a nice golden brown.

"No toaster required," he says, his grin growing. "I guess I could use my cheeks as defibrillators if I want now." He can also better protect Tim if a time like the battle against Charizard ever comes again.

He nudges the plate carefully in Tim's direction so he can grab a piece of toast if he wants to. Tim only stares at the plate, his appetite diminished.

Harry can tell he doesn't want the toast. They need to confront the fight that they had last night, and he has to be the one to break the ice.

"Tim, I—"

His son beats him to it, and Harry has no other choice but to listen.

"I'm sorry I yelled," Tim mumbles under his breath. "It's not like I actually got arrested."

Harry squeezes his coffee cup tighter. "No, you were right. I'm sorry you had to face the lieutenant by yourself, I would have helped if I could."

"Yoshida agreed to look more into R again. Maybe he'll find something," Tim decides to mention.

At least he has that small victory.

Harry's ears perk up a bit in shock. Yoshida is reopening his case? Well, that's a nice surprise.

"What else did you say?" he questions, curious. More than anything, he wishes he could have been awake.

"I tried to convince him that the Pikachu in my arms was actually you, but he just said that I should go home and get some rest."

 _Home_...Harry gets the implication, and it scares him. Tim almost went home...he was going to leave him here to figure out his mystery on his own. The two of them are already on thin ice, but anything he says or does now is a risk that Tim will just up and leave. He has to be more careful from now on.

Harry just lets out a quiet laugh that Yoshida probably thinks his son is nuts now. They better not try and convince him again, or else Tim might be sent somewhere worse than his apartment.

"I should have told you sooner about not being able to use any powers, then you wouldn't have had to risk stepping on Charizard's tail. Never do that again, please."

Tim shakes his head, a small smile evident. _He's_ the one in the wrong, he knows that now. "I don't plan to, and I probably should have known. I mean, you're not really a Pokémon, of _course_ you wouldn't know how to use your powers."

Harry grins widely again, eyes bright as he remembers the overwhelming power he'd felt when it had erupted from inside of him.

"Well, I figued it out in the end and let me tell you, it was—"

Tim realizes that something is off before he does by the way he stops suddenly, staring off quietly into space for a few moments.

"Hey. Are you okay?" Tim asks uncertainly. "You were kind of out of it for a second."

Harry looks back at his son, confused but putting on the best fake smile that he can. If Tim catches on, he doesn't say anything, probably not wanting to risk getting into another fight, and Harry silently agrees. He'd just gotten his son back and he's risking losing him again because of a stupid argument. He should have told Tm right away that he didn't know how to use his powers, he knows that now.

"Yeah...I'm fine," he utters, shaking his head slightly to ward off the dizziness that slowly fades away.

It's another lie. He really _shouldn't_ be lying again, especially not after they had both just cooled down, but something is telling him that it's best he keep whatever just happened to himself.

All he knows is that it can't be good for a human to remain in the body of a Pokémon for an extended period of time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It hurt having to cut the scene of Tim and Harry crying, but it was needed. We are officially in AU land from here on out! ;)


	7. Chapter 7

"Where's my hat?"

Tim sighs. Of course the first thing Pikachu wants after their argument is his _hat,_ of all things.

"Here," Tim says in a mumble, pulling out the hat from his pocket. He forgot to give it back after the fight.

Pikachu's eyes light up at the sight and he reaches his tiny arms forward to take the hat from Tim's hand, placing it gently back on his head.

"I know you can't remember how it happened," Tim starts, unsure if he should continue. But maybe it would spark a much needed memory... _any_ kind of lead at all is better than nothing. He's getting a little more than restless while they just sit in the apartment and wait for something to happen. He even ate the toast that Pikachu had made, more out of frustration than anything else. Pikachu seemed happy about it anyway, proud that he'd actually created something edible with his two red cheek pouches alone.

Pikachu looks up at him, curious and waiting for him to finish his question. Tim takes a deep breath, following through. "But do you think it hurt when you...changed?"

The former human shrugs his now-yellow shoulders slightly, keeping a tight grip on his coffee cup. Coffee _always_ helps him think better.

"Most likely...changing a human into a Pokémon is probably a very complicated process involving lots of pain," is all he can think of to say in response, more joking than anything. "I'm pretty sure it didn't, at least," he adds when Tim's eyes go wide at the thought of pain during his transformation. "I didn't wake up feeling sore or anything. Just mysteriously got put in the middle of nowhere. No car...nothing. I don't even remember if I was driving before getting changed." He wouldn't be able to drive as a Pikachu, that's for sure.

He _hopes_ that his transformation hadn't hurt. He hadn't thought of that until Tim brought it up just now. He'll have to go through the change again at some point in order to get back to being human, and no pain would be nice.

"Still no word from Yoshida," Tim says quickly to change the subject, staring down at his phone. The lieutenant hadn't exactly said that he would call him if he found anything, but Tim remains hopeful. Maybe Yoshida has already questioned Sebastian, though Tim isn't sure he would get anything more from the guy than they had already.

 _Doctor..._ the single word runs through Tim's mind again. He tried mixing 'doctor' with Pokémon on Harry's computer just to see if anything important came up, but no luck. It was all just different Pokémon Centers.

"Waiting is one of the hardest parts of detective work," Pikachu notes from his spot atop the desk next to Tim. It isn't like he can type very well with his new paws; he couldn't even use his own phone without them fumbling every which way when he'd first tried that out, giving up altogether when he realized no one would be able to understand him anyway, so he let his son take the helm. They haven't left the apartment again, forced to stay put until _something_ falls through with the lieutenant, or they figure something out themselves. Either way, Harry hopes they find something soon. "It kills me to stay in one spot for too long, but sometimes it's necessary. Sometimes a case just goes cold for a while and there's nothing you can do _but_ wait."

"Sebastian said something about a doctor. I wonder what he meant," Tim says, trying his best to think. All they've _been_ doing is thinking, and it's starting to drive him a little crazy. He can only imagine how his father, a _real_ detective must be feeling right now. Almost subconsciously, he types 'doctor' and 'humans turning into Pokémon' into the computer but once again, nothing comes up and he groans slightly.

"The source of R came from the doctor. Not just _a_ doctor, but _the_ doctor. Whoever this doctor is, he or she must be important," Harry says. If this doctor has anything to do with his transformation, he'll have a thing or two to say to him...or her if he ever gets a chance; if this so-called 'doctor' would even be able to understand him like Tim can. Somehow, he doubts that. He likes to think that he and his son have some kind of special connection that allows them to talk with one another.

"It's getting late," Harry says with a yawn that almost makes Tim want to yawn, but he holds it back. Another day can't be gone already...they haven't even gotten anywhere with this case and Pikachu wants to go to bed?

"It's way past your bedtime," Harry mentions, taking one last sip of his coffee before he leaps off of his desk to head for his bedroom.

Tim's eyes narrow and he focuses more intently on the computer screen. If Harry makes him go to bed _this_ early like he's still a child...he's not even sure how a _Pikachu_ is able to go to bed after drinking that much coffee.

"It's been a _long_ time since I've had a bedtime."

Technically, that's not true. All responsible adults have a bedtime, especially if they want to get up in time for work in the morning. Since coming to Ryme City and finding out that his 'father' is still alive but stuck in the body of a Pikachu, the schedule that he's built for himself has gotten all messed up. He realizes that he'll need to call his insurance boss at some point to ask for more time off, but he's pretty sure his boss will be okay with it since he hardly ever takes time off, anyway. It's probably something that he and Pikachu both have in common.

"Hey."

Tim looks back up, having to lean a bit over the desk so he can see Pikachu on the floor staring back up at him.

"I want this case solved just as much as you and I know we haven't really gotten anywhere besides what Sebastian told us, but a good detective needs his rest. It's always okay to take a break and come back to a case with fresh eyes. I don't know how many times the lieutenant himself hit me over the head with that one until it finally got through," Harry chuckles lightly, waiting for Tim to get out of the chair and get ready for bed himself.

He doesn't.

 _I'm not a detective,_ Tim wants to retort, but he keeps his mouth shut. They already had a big fight and he doesn't want to make it worse. Pikachu might have a point about getting a good night's sleep, but he's not the one who's been having to sleep on the couch.

"I'll go to bed soon," he promises. Apparently it's good enough for Pikachu. The human-turned-mouse nods, pleased with his answer and yawning again before turning around to go to his room.

Tim sighs once more, going back to work. He'd rather stay up all night than be forced to sleep on the couch _again._

xxxx

He'd just been on his way to go to the bathroom, finally giving up his random searches on the computer. He's finally going to bed as Pikachu suggested, but he'd mostly just stayed up later out of spite.

Tim didn't expect to find a light on in his childhood room and Pikachu staring back at him with an expression that's just as awkward.

"Oh...I thought you were asleep already," Pikachu says, quickly reaching up towards his face to wipe something away; he's too fast for Tim to make out what it was on his face, but he can see that the Pokémon is holding something tightly in his paws.

"That's the train ticket, isn't it?" Tim questions, pointing down at what he's holding.

"Yeah. It is," Harry admits, afraid that Tim will leave the room and take all of the awkwardness with him. He's willing to withstand the intense awkwardness if it means spending more time with his son. He'll take all the time he can get. He pulls the train ticket out further so Tim can see it more clearly. The letter that goes with it is sitting underneath the lamp, and Harry takes it hesitantly into his paws as Tim comes in the room. He stays standing, refusing to sit with Pikachu until the mouse pats the space next to him with a paw and Tim complies, moving to sit on the bed.

"I think I wrote this before going to finish the case," Harry says, a little more than anxious about what Tim will say. He passes the letter to his son, but Tim seems more focused on the train ticket that he still holds in his paws. Is he actually considering...? But Harry doesn't want to get his hopes up. "I never got a chance to send it...what do you think you would have done if it reached you?" he asks cautiously, almost afraid of the answer and preparing himself for the worst.

He holds out the ticket for Tim to take as well and his son reaches forward, just as hesitant.

Tim takes a little longer to respond, staring blankly at both the letter and ticket now in his hands. Somewhere deep inside, he wants to say that he would have gotten on the train to come and visit, at least. The invitation had said that Harry would always have a place for him to stay, but...that was taking things a bit too fast. But now that he's seen the life his father made for himself in Ryme City away from his family and that he had also intended for Tim to live with him at some point, the detective has shown that maybe he _does_ actually care when Tim originally thought he didn't.

"I don't know," he admits, and Harry's ears droop slightly.

It's the right answer and an answer that he _should_ have expected. It's better than what he'd predicted that Tim was going to say, at least.

"I just...couldn't get myself to get rid of the room or change it," Harry says quietly, glancing back at the Pikachu ears. He just _had_ to get turned into a Pikachu himself...

Tim suddenly feels like he's intruding on another personal moment as if Harry is talking to his mother's picture again, but he feels...more welcome this time. He's glued to his childhood bed, unable to bring himself to get up. Harry looks back to him, eyes shining through unreleased tears. Tim has never seen a side of his father like this before, but the feeling is mutual.

Tim isn't a child anymore, Harry sees that now. He had every right to refuse his offer to live with him when he was just a kid, and he has every right to leave now. But...for whatever reason, Tim is _choosing_ to stay and help him with his case.

"I meant to send another ticket later on but before I knew it, your twenty-first birthday came around..." he has to stop talking before his tears finally break free. He meant to try and _call_ at least, but he'd just been so _busy..._ before he knew it, Tim was already an adult. He'd grown up in the blink of an eye and Harry had missed it.

_But I kept the room because I hoped you would still step off that train._

He leaves the words unsaid, too much for him to handle. He doesn't want to make it sound like he's trying to guilt-trip his son, either.

"Well...I like what you did with it," Tim manages to get out shakily, glancing up and around the room at the various battle posters and his gaze sticking onto the Pikachu ears. The compliment is strained, but Harry can tell that he _means_ it, and that means more than the world to him. "Kind of a coincidence you were turned into a Pikachu of all Pokémon."

Tim glances at the ears and Harry nods, his words growing faint as he becomes lost in his thoughts.

His son could have walked out of the apartment during their argument and left without looking back, but he didn't. Harry still has a chance to make things right, and he's not going to waste it. Tim doesn't even have to forgive him and he knows that his son most likely never will, but Harry finds himself okay with that as long as Tim is _here._ He got a train ticket himself and came to Ryme City because of his 'death' and to say goodbye...

His little nose is starting to wiggle unintentionally.

 _A detective doesn't cry,_ Harry tells himself firmly.

But then a realization dawns on him. He blinks, the tears retreating.

Ticket... _ticket..._ wait...

"Ticket! That's it!" Harry exclaims suddenly, sparks of electricity emerging from his cheeks unintentionally in his excitement. Tim makes sure to avoid bumping into him, lest he wants to get shocked by accident.

"What?" Tim asks, surprised and happy at the same time that Harry might have something figured out. _Finally..._ maybe they don't need Yoshida's help, after all.

"I don't know what it has to do with that train ticket, but I think I'm remembering something. Something important," Harry murmurs, pacing back and forth quickly across the bed.

"What is it?" Tim asks again, his curiosity peaking.

Why would the _train ticket_ of all things trigger Harry's memory?

"The place where... _this_ might have happened to me," Harry says, gesturing down to his body. He finally notices that his cheeks are sparking, and he gasps. His face scrunches in concentration so deep that Tim doesn't want to interrupt him, so he stays quiet until the sparks disappear back into the red pouches.

Tim guesses that it makes sense. Maybe Harry had to travel on the train to wherever he'd been turned into a Pikachu.

"I think I might really be getting the hang of these powers," Harry says, eyes bright and hopeful now that they might finally have some kind of lead. It's better than nothing, at least.

"Bluffing does count as saying that you knew how to use your powers, by the way," Tim makes sure he knows, and Harry rolls his eyes.

"Of course, of course," he agrees absentmindedly. He's not about to argue with Tim again, and he can't stop the grin from spreading slowly across his face when a name...or at least the initials of a name come to mind.

"PCL. We have to find out what that place is...tomorrow."

Tim can't help but glare, and Harry can take a wild guess at what he's thinking. "Like I said, a good detective needs his rest. I'm still sleeping in my own bed."

Tim gets up without arguing, save for one word as he leaves the train ticket with the letter on the nightstand and heads in defeat back to the couch. "Fine. Goodnight, Pikachu."

Harry's ears perk up in surprise but before he can respond, Tim is already out of the room. It should probably start to worry him, but he's getting used to being called Pikachu at this point when he really shouldn't be. He's _not_ a Pikachu, but the deal they'd made had been that while he's stuck as a Pokémon, he's not Tim's father. Yet tonight, he felt a little closer to Tim than he has been in years, and he finds that maybe being stuck as a Pikachu isn't such a bad thing, after all.

For a moment, Harry is taken back to when Tim truly was just a child and he'd say goodnight to his father.

"Goodnight, kid," Harry whispers quietly in response with a small and reminiscent smile. He turns off the lamp and hops down from Tim's childhood bed, heading towards his own room.

They've done absolutely nothing all day while waiting for a response from Yoshida that obviously isn't going to come. Why would the lieutenant call back and risk Tim putting his life in danger once they have an answer regarding R? Simple. Yoshida _wouldn't_ involve Tim in a case he's not even technically supposed to be a part of for his own safety, and Harry finds that he's actually okay with that. Despite getting almost nothing about his case solved besides remembering three simple letters, he got to spend time with his son and that's what matters most.

"Doctor..." Harry mutters to himself, lifting a paw to his chin without even realizing it to help him think. "Doctor, doctor...PCL..."

He can't come up with a name for the faceless doctor or anything important that the letters PCL might stand for, but the two words themselves send a shiver up and down his spine. He hopes he's close to remembering something else, but comes to the conclusion that doctors would probably have something to do with transforming humans into Pokémon, anyway.

"Doctor..." Harry mutters to himself again, so lost in thought that he doesn't even realize he's reaching over his bed to turn off his own lamp and put himself underneath the covers. He might be a Pikachu now, but he wants to try and feel like he's still human as much as possible.

"PCL...doctor..." Harry whispers to himself in the dark until he completely drifts off.

Maybe if he was still a human, dreams would be easier to remember when he woke up.

_"Tim is...was a great kid."_

_Harry is talking to someone, but he can't make out who it is. Their eyes are closed and their mouth isn't even moving as they talk, but Harry can still understand them as clear as day._

_**Was?** the voice belonging to the mystery person asks. It's a deep and almost echoey kind of voice. All Harry knows is that it definitely isn't human, but somehow...he's okay with it, even if the way the voice travels through his mind so easily is a bit unnerving. He feels like he can trust it as he reveals old scars of the past that he has never talked about with anyone else before._

_"He doesn't exactly live with me anymore," Harry responds to the strange being's question. "It's been a long time. He was supposed to come and live with me years ago, but..."_

_**He didn't,** the odd and echoey voice finishes for him. It's easy to forget that the being can read his thoughts before he says them out loud._

_"Yeah, you're right," Harry says, dejected. "I wish he had gotten on that train, but I didn't want to force him to come. But maybe now, if I get a ticket and invite him again, he might..."_

_Harry doesn't have a chance to finish, alarms blaring faintly in the background. Now is the time; they have to hurry!_

_Bright, glowing eyes snap open._


	8. Chapter 8

"The Pokémon Comprehensive Laboratory," an excited voice on the other end of his phone says.

He's barely awake, and it takes a moment for Tim to recognize the stuffy voice. He runs a hand down his face as he attempts to fully wake up from the couch; if only he could sleep in a little longer...but apparently _she's_ calling, so it has to be something important.

"Lucy?" he asks, his mind still foggy. He doesn't even have time to ask how she got his number.

For sounding sick, she responds quickly. "I got access to Roger's computer."

"How'd you do that?" Tim asks. He's still just so _tired_ that he can hardly raise his voice above a mumble.

"I spilled a cappuccino on his lap," she answers, maybe a little too enthusiastically.

Tim jumps in surprise when Pikachu is suddenly next to him on the floor listening in, probably having heard his conversation with his new and sensitive hearing all the way from his room.

Harry shakes his head in disappointment. "Sounds like a waste of innocent coffee," he whispers.

"So I searched through all his records, targeted the property rights in the region and I cross-checked that with city records for any Clifford financed businesses until I found it. PCL—a Pokémon genetic research facility."

"Sounds right," Harry says quietly under his breath, following along with Lucy without any trouble at all; he's quick to process all of her information. "Of course a lab would have something to do with my transformation."

Tim's head hurts from how fast she revealed all of the information and it takes a moment for him to process it all. He's too slow for Lucy, so she continues before he even has a chance to respond.

"Last week, PCL had an 'accident' and had to shut down their entire facility. That's the same night Harry Goodman went missing. No one knows what happened...total media blackout."

"But _we_ know what happened," Harry says with a wide grin. "Mostly," he makes sure to add. They might know that he was turned into a Pikachu and went missing around that time frame before Tim found him in the apartment, but they still don't know what had led up to the moment when he was changed. But they're getting closer and Harry already feels a sense of accomplishment just knowing a bit more about what could have happened in his case. They know that he's not dead, and now they have a lead as to where his transformation might have taken place.

"I would go if I could, but I'm kind of under the weather." As if to emphasize, she coughs. It does sound like a pretty bad cold...

Despite his minor headache, Tim quickly gets what she's implying, unsure if he should continue on but he does, anyway. Why not? This is is the information that they _need_ so they can get this case done and over with, and he can finally go back home. Of course, he's not going to tell Pikachu that.

"I would too, but I don't exactly have a car right now. I came by train," he says, but Lucy doesn't even hesitate to give a solution.

"You can take my car. It's already parked out front," she says simply like the idea isn't crazy.

Tim pauses, hardly believing what he'd just heard. Lucy is willing to let him borrow her car? Just like that? But they barely know each other, why does she think she can trust him and vice versa? For all he knows, she's just faking being sick and using them to help her with her big story so she doesn't have to put any effort into it.

Pikachu is grinning a bit too stupidly beside him.

He ignores it.

"...Okay," he says reluctantly; _very_ reluctantly. But what other choice do they have apart from a car rental agency, which would only waste more time? The sooner they get on the road, the better.

Lucy gives him the address to where she lives, and Tim assures her that he'll be there soon.

"Well, that was very unexpected," he tells Pikachu, and the yellow mouse nods.

"You can say that again," Harry agrees.

"How did she even get my number? I never gave it to her," Tim questions, his mind still in a bit of a fog.

Maybe running into a crazed reporter determined to solve Harry's mystery hadn't been such a bad thing after all, no matter how crazy it had sounded before he'd found his father-turned-Pikachu in his apartment.

"She's a reporter and a good one," Harry says with a wink. "You better hold onto her," he advises slyly. Tim just shakes his head.

At least they have some confirmation that PCL is a real place that Harry remembers, and not some figment of his imagination in his poor Pikachu brain.

Tim sighs when he glances back down at his phone's screen. He'd been so tired and distracted from working the night before that he'd forgotten to charge his phone.

"I should have charged my phone last night, now it's really low." What if they run into trouble and need to call someone like Yoshida? Not that Tim _wants_ to get in trouble with the lieutenant, but just in case they meet certain doom. Given the way things are going for them, Tim wouldn't be surprised at all. His father had been turned into a _Pikachu._ What else could go wrong? But he knows that's not a question he should be asking because when someone does, things usually _do_ go wrong.

Pikachu jumps up suddenly, snatching the phone out of his hands before he can stop him.

"Hey!" Tim shouts, but can't help staring in awe when Pikachu, like he had done with the bread to make it into toast, lowers a red cheek to the phone where a charger would normally go, instead. Gentle streaks of static emerge, connecting to the inside of the phone. Once he thinks it's enough, Pikachu ceases the electricity and checks the phone's screen. Satisfied, he hands it back to Tim.

"Problem solved. Let's go," Harry says simply like nothing out of the ordinary just happened.

"Thanks," Tim mutters, staring in amazement at his phone's full percentage. He'll never admit it out loud in front of Pikachu, but having the ability to charge your phone _without_ a charger is pretty cool.

xxxx

Lucy's car is small. There's a baby seat in the back that must be for Psyduck, but Harry takes shotgun next to Tim since the duck is staying with his partner. If only he was a little taller, he could drive like normal. Like how a human is _supposed_ to drive. But he's just a tiny Pikachu for now, so he has no choice but to let Tim sit at the wheel. Despite his small size, he insists that he needs to wear a seat belt; no _way_ is he going to sit in the baby seat. Tim wraps it around his chest, doing his best to ignore the seat's occupant and while a bit loose, Harry already feels much safer.

The drive itself is quiet, and Tim is concentrating on the empty road ahead. They're way out in the middle of nowhere just like Harry remembers. Even though Tim is concentrating, he's all too aware of how tense it is between them. Trying to distract himself, Harry attempts to look out the car window, only to discover that the window is too high for him to look out of, so he has no choice but to sit and wait until they reach their destination.

He contemplates as another form of distraction instead, eager to be rid of the growing awkwardness between himself and Tim and mentally asking a question that's been on his mind for years: did Tim ever get a partner? He never had a chance to call and ask. He'd either been too busy with detective work, or he had been too lost in his own grief over his wife to even _try_ and pick up the phone to call him. If Tim had tried to call him, Harry doesn't remember. He doesn't want to remember that aspect of his life—that he had intentionally ignored his own son, and then Tim had stopped calling altogether.

It comes rushing like a tidal wave that he doesn't know _anything_ about Tim; not even if he had ever gotten his own Pokémon.

Maybe he left it home while he came to Ryme City. It might be a very Pokémon-friendly place, but Tim hadn't planned on staying any longer than he has already.

Harry can't take the awkward silence anymore.

"So, um..." Why does he have to be so _awkward_ about everything? He continues on the best that he can, his heart pounding and unsure how Tim will take the implication that comes along with his question. "Maybe when this all over and I'm back to normal...I'd love to meet your partner."

Tim doesn't respond, concentrating harder on the road. He doesn't protest against the idea of Harry coming to visit his hometown, much to his surprise.

Harry takes his silence as confirmation—that ever since the night his mother passed, Tim hasn't even _considered_ getting a partner. It was supposed to be the biggest day of his life, Harry knows that much, and it had all been ruined when his mother...Harry doesn't like to think about it.

"You never..." Harry utters, just to be sure. The thought is a sad one that Tim has most likely been alone the whole time before he had come to Ryme City. He never lived out his dream of becoming a Pokémon trainer, and Harry has a strong feeling that it has something to do with him up and leaving his son, choosing to spend more time working and ignoring the fact that Tim needed him.

Tim shakes his head slowly, his grip tightening on the wheel.

"I'm so sorry, kid," Harry apologizes. He wishes that he never even asked the question in the first place. Without meaning to, he just hurt his son _again._

"Don't be," Tim says. He's not angry, but Harry still feels bad about asking the question. "I've been fine on my own. Not everyone needs a Pokémon partner."

Harry isn't sure that's true. _Everyone_ in Ryme City has a partner, but Tim had chosen to stay home with his grandparents. In the back of his mind, Harry wonders what Pokémon he'd had for a partner, himself. But no matter how hard he tries to remember, he just can't even if he wants to. He doesn't want to forget his own _partner,_ and it's highly possible that his Pokémon is stuck somewhere in the facility they're going to.

They finally arrive, and Tim stops the car in front of a fence—a fence that has danger signs all over it. Harry unbuckles himself, but Tim can't help staring at all the warning signs and instantly doubting that this is in fact a good idea.

"Look what I just found," Harry says eagerly from behind him, lifting pliers up so Tim can see, and his eyes widen tenfold.

"Why would a reporter have pliers in her car?" Tim wonders aloud, worry seeping into him that maybe Lucy is indeed crazier than he thought. But why does he find that kind of...attractive? He immediately snaps himself out of it. He's been spending too much time with Pikachu.

"She's a determined reporter after the truth, of _course_ she'd have pliers in her car." Harry is honestly impressed and a little thankful that even before Tim had arrived in Ryme City, someone had cared enough about his case to keep looking into it when everyone else thought it was closed. He makes a mental note that when (not _if,_ because the idea of staying as a Pikachu is too terrible to comprehend) he becomes human again, he'll have to thank her somehow for all of her help.

With the newly discovered pliers, Tim is easily able to make an opening big enough for both of them to get in through the fence. Harry trails behind him until they reach the lab itself. The outside is a wreck, making it easy for them to find a way in through flaps that lead to an abandoned containment area.

"It looks like Pokémon must have been kept here," Harry says, making his way through the open cage. Tim shivers; the inside of the lab is cold, thanks to the outside opening. He's lucky he's wearing his jacket. "Maybe they were experimented on and that's how the accident Lucy talked about happened..."

"It all looks abandoned," Tim whispers quietly, just in case someone might still be inside. An entire lab like this can't be completely empty.

"That's probably what they want you to think," Harry says as they make their way through the halls.

"What do you think happened? Can you remember anything else now?"

"Bad stuff," Harry answers, nervous as he shakes his head. He may not remember, but he can feel deep down in his gut that something terrible had gone on here, and he might have been a part of it. 

Broken glass is everywhere in the next room that they find and Harry does his best to avoid it, envying Tim's shoes. There's a pod-like structure that sits in the middle, probably once containing some kind of other Pokémon. Harry has a strong feeling that this is where the big accident might have occurred that caused the entire place to be shut down...or most of it, that is.

"Dr. Laurent's station..." Harry murmurs to himself, coming upon an electronic device that holds all kinds of different files. "This must have been the doctor that Sebastian was talking about. So this is where the source of R came from, but who's behind it all?"

The name sounds very familiar. He must have known Dr. Laurent, but he can't picture what she looks like.

"I don't think it works anymore," Tim says as he tries to activate the files, but with no luck. They're all corrupted.

"Ah!" Harry yelps, feeling a sharp sting in his foot. It was more difficult to avoid the glass than he'd thought. Tim bends down to his level, and Harry reluctantly allows him to check his hurt foot.

"Don't worry, it's just a cut. I think you'll live," Tim tells him, his tone void of worry. It's not bleeding.

Harry makes an attempt to stand on his wounded foot. He tries, he really _tries,_ but it does actually hurt with a sharp sting and he stumbles forward. Tim is tempted to let him fall but catches him anyway before he can make contact with the floor.

"I'm in bad shape, kid," Harry says a little too dramatically, limping on his hurt foot when Tim lets go of him. It's not too bad if he keeps it still and doesn't put too much weight on it, but if he tries to walk, that's a different story.

"Ow, ow, ow," Harry whines, plopping to the floor in a sitting position and holding his foot with both paws.

Tim sighs, his shoulders slumping. They aren't going to get anywhere at this rate, so he has no choice. He stretches an arm out so it's close to Pikachu's level, and the mouse's eyes light up. He scampers up Tim's outstretched arm, perching himself comfortably on his son's shoulder. He's actually sitting on Tim's shoulder, and Tim is _letting_ him. It might only be because he hurt his foot, but it's still a welcome surprise.

"This is a one time thing," Tim makes sure he knows firmly. Just the thought of his own father sitting on his shoulders is awkward enough. He tries to focus on the mission ahead: finding answers, if it's even possible. The lab seems like a ghost town.

"Alright," Harry says calmly, not wanting to argue. He's thankful that Tim is even letting him sit in the first place. It _better_ be a one time thing. It would be nice if by this time tomorrow, he'll be back to normal in his original body, but they've only just gotten a real lead that they're now starting to investigate together.

Together...in the back of his mind, Harry almost wishes that he could stay as a Pikachu a little longer. Almost. It's moments like sitting on his son's shoulders that make him assume the worst. Once he's human again, will Tim continue to stay with him or will he leave Ryme City?

"Look at this," Tim says as they approach another old Pokémon containment area. The only difference from the one they'd entered through is that this one actually has live Pokémon inside. Tim doesn't like the look of it; this place is supposed to be abandoned but if Pokémon are actually here, then someone else most likely is too and watching them.

"Pangoro," Harry utters in surprise. "But it doesn't look right." He feels a twinge of disgust at the thought of innocent Pokémon being experimented on.

"Test 22," Tim says, reading off of an electronic informational stand in front of the trapped Pangoro. "Emotional state effects."

It's sitting up, eyes sad and hardly reacting to either of them, like it's too lost in thought about something else. The cage for it is _way_ too small, but Pangoro is strong enough to snap a telephone pole, from what Tim remembers about its Pokédex entries. Why doesn't it try to escape?

Tim remains quiet as Pikachu talks to the large, black and white Pokémon to see what he can find out. He can understand what Pikachu says, but anything the Pangoro gets out is lost on him.

"She says her Pancham cubs are missing," Harry translates sadly from atop Tim's shoulder, the pinch of disgust returning. If the people here are capable of experimenting on Pokémon for their own greedy reasons and able to take cubs away from their mother, who knows what else they've been doing in this terrible place? "Three of them. They were taken away, but she doesn't remember when."

The Pangoro moans softly in despair, and Tim's heart skips a beat. No _wonder_ she doesn't want to try and escape. Maybe she already has and as punishment, her cubs were taken from her.

"It's okay," he says in an attempt at comfort, even if Pangoro might not be able to understand him.

"Don't worry, we'll find them," Harry reassures her gently. "We're detectives, it's our job."

 _ **You're** a detective,_ Tim corrects Pikachu inwardly.

"A Torterra garden," Harry takes his turn reading as they approach the next enclosure. "Pokémon evolution Test 33, growth enhancement."

"They look normal-sized to me. Maybe it hasn't started yet," Tim says.

"It's like they're trying to manipulate Pokémon evolution," Harry murmurs.

"Is that even possible?" Tim questions. The idea is certainly interesting, but the way these people are trying to achieve their goal is wrong.

"Well, they figured out how to turn people into Pokémon." How to turn _him_ into a Pokémon. He doesn't see anything in the lab to indicate that, though.

Tim nods, shuddering. Who knows what else this place has been up to?

There's a door that's undamaged close to the mini Torterra garden, unlike the others leading into different rooms. It's the only one that most likely survived the accident that happened, causing PCL to shut down. Harry doesn't know why exactly, but he feels a connection between himself and the door ahead. There's a pressure in his head that seems to get stronger the closer they get...he crawls carefully off of Tim's shoulders, making sure not to hurt his foot again. He sniffs at the door, placing an ear against it.

 _You promised,_ a voice hisses unexpectedly from out of nowhere. Had it come from behind the door? Is the voice talking to _him?_

"Did you hear that?" Harry gasps, unsure if he'd just imagined it.

"Hear what?" Tim asks. He hadn't heard anything. Is his father going crazy now, too? He'd been turned into a Pikachu, Tim honestly wouldn't blame him. "I didn't hear anything."

Maybe he did imagine it.

"Uh, Pikachu," Tim says cautiously. Harry turns back around, only to come face-to-face with a free _Greninja_ that must have escaped at some point from another area of the lab.

How did it get out?!

"Run!" Harry cries, and Tim doesn't need to be told twice.

For someone with a 'hurt' foot, Pikachu can run surprisingly well, Tim realizes. They're both running, but Greninja is fast. It catches up to them easily, leaping in front of them so they have nowhere else to go.

The Greninja raises a fin-like hand, blue energy emerging and aiming it directly at Pikachu.

"Dodge it!" Tim shouts.

Harry complies, his own mind not comprehending the fact that he'd just obeyed Tim...like a normal Pokémon. He looks back towards his son, eyes wide. Tim grins, and he suddenly gets the message.

The battle begins before they even realize it.

"Quick Attack and go for a direct hit!" Tim instructs. Pikachu nods eagerly, listening to his instincts. He calls forth all the energy he has, zipping left and right down the lab hall until he slams right into the Greninja. It stumbles backwards, but manages to hold its ground; the fight isn't over yet when another bright blue star is thrown directly at him. Pikachu yelps as he narrowly manages to avoid it.

"I'm okay, I'm okay," Harry says, dizziness washing over him. He shakes his head, focusing his attention immediately back on Greninja. "That was uncalled for," he scolds the Pokémon. It ignores him, chittering in anger. Harry is too distracted with trying to avoid it that he doesn't pay attention to what it says. That is...until it has its attention focused solely on his son, moving slowly towards him.

Doing the only thing he can think of, Tim grabs the stand next to the Torterra garden. The glass shatters, allowing an escape for the both of them. The Greninja lets out an angered cry at the glass that had fallen on top of it, shaking itself wildly. It's distracted, giving Tim the best chance to get out of the lab.

"Go! Just go, I'll be fine!" Harry shouts, but Tim refuses to take another step outside.

Harry attempts to run in the other direction when the Greninja focuses its attention back on him, but he can't. He doesn't have _time_ to when Greninja turns on him and grabs him by its tongue before he can get up, wrapping tightly around his body like an Ekans.

The Greninja's tongue has a tight grip on him, and tight enough that he might not escape no matter how hard he claws at the ground to try and get out of its grip. No, it can't end like this! He's being dragged backwards! He can't think straight!

But Tim knows _exactly_ what to do to avoid such a terrible end. He calls out the final move that will surely be the Greninja's end.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"

Harry manages to get a hold of himself at last at Tim's final instruction, calming himself down enough to at least _try_ and think straight.

"You got it, kid," Harry agrees with a grin, mustering forth the same intense energy he'd felt when he won the battle against Charizard. Tim has to cover his eyes against the blinding light that follows.

The Greninja faints, falling to the floor cross-eyed and unable to get back up.

It fainted! Against all odds, they just won another battle _again!_ A Pikachu beating a Greninja? Maybe the other Pokémon is another experiment weaker than normal Greninja.

Pikachu is thankfully free from Greninja's tongue. He shudders in disgust, wiping himself off with his paws. If one Greninja had gotten out, there might be more. They should take it as a sign that maybe now is the best time to leave and before the Greninja that fainted wakes up, too.

"Being a detective I've been in a lot of situations that I wish I hadn't, but that was officially the worst. And most disgusting."

Panting, Harry looks back to Tim, his eyes just as wide as his son's. He's mad that Tim hadn't left the lab when he told him to, but amazed that he had decided to stay and _save_ him.

They were like...Pokémon and trainer. No, not trainer, since actually training Pokémon for battling is illegal in Ryme City. Trainers themselves are still welcome of course, but only if they abide by the rules like everyone else.

They were like...Pokémon and _partner._ Tim had said that he doesn't have a partner—he doesn't _want_ a partner.

Harry doesn't dare say it out loud, for fear that Tim will disagree. His face says otherwise—that he's feeling the same astonishment and disbelief that they had actually pulled it off. This is different than the Roundhouse. There, they had hardly known _what_ they were doing. But now it's the exact opposite.

"You did good, kid," he decides to say instead. He doesn't think he'll ever be able to put into words just how _proud_ he is of Tim in this moment and what they had just accomplished together. "That was some great battling," he praises his son. His veins still feel like they're on fire from using the electricity, and he has to stop himself from running and jumping around to try and stave off the adrenaline.

"You really think so?" Tim asks, and Pikachu nods fervently. Maybe when this is all over and his father is turned back to normal, he'll actually consider trying to find his own Pokémon partner, if only so everyone in Ryme City would stop asking him about it. But the rush that he'd felt during the battle...nothing could compare.

 _"We_ did good," he decides to admit despite himself.

Harry's eyes brighten, a smile stretching slowly across his face. It doesn't last long before his smile fades, his eyes fading over into a far away gaze.

He holds his aching head tightly with his paws in an attempt to get it to go away, but it refuses and only becomes _stronger._

"Pikachu," Tim starts, reaching his arms forward with concern.

"Don't worry kid, I'm okay," he attempts to reassure Tim again, but his son isn't having any of it. He blinks, shaking his head, but the dizziness is a lot more persistent this time. Finally, Tim's concerned face comes into view.

"No, you're not! Something is wrong," Tim insists. The last time his father had an episode like this, it had been shortly after using his powers for the first time to defeat Charizard.

Harry can already tell where his son is going with his new revelation, putting two and two together instantly. He hadn't noticed it at first himself after his transformation, but he realizes now that the longer he's stuck as a Pokémon, the less he's starting to feel...and _act_ human. But it can't be. They have more important things to worry about like the Pokémon stuck in the lab, the missing Pancham cubs and that voice he'd 'heard.' They need to call Yoshida _now_ so the police can come and check it out.

But Tim voices what both of them are thinking, horror dawning on Harry even more so.

"I think...the more you use your powers, the more you turn into a regular Pikachu."


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Early update to make up for missing last week :)
> 
> Random question. What do you guys like most: long or short chapters? I usually let the chapters themselves decide where they want to end regardless of word count if it's a good spot, but I'm just curious.

"So what do we know so far?"

Harry is thinking, and thinking hard. Tim is thinking along with him, but not _as_ hard. They're back in what might be the safest room with the caged Pangoro, even if she might not be willing to protect them if another Greninja came along due to her missing cubs. Harry isn't asking anything of her, he just feels safer with a Pokémon much bigger than him in the same room with Tim, especially if he's not able to use his powers anymore because...he shakes the thought away.

"The news said you died in a car accident, but..." Tim trails off, unsure. The whole thing is fishy like a flopping Magikarp.

Going over what he's found in a case is one of Harry's favorite parts of detective work. Usually he presents his findings just to himself or his (currently unknown) Pokémon partner, but he's excited to share this part of the job with his son—a feat that never would have been possible if he _hadn't_ been turned into a Pikachu. To outweigh the lingering bad side of being turned into a Pokémon, he does his best to focus on the good...or _mostly_ good.

"But there was no car when I woke up, much less a wreck," Harry says, pacing slowly back and forth on the stark white floor. He just needs to stay calm, refusing to acknowledge the slightest hint of his anxiety about Tim's recent discovery. "This tells us that PCL or whoever was involved with faking my death went out of their way to make it _look_ like I was dead by the time the RCPD came along to check it out."

And then the RCPD must have been the ones to clear up the fake wreck. Leaving an 'accident' like that isn't exactly safe, but why Yoshida and the rest of the police had left a Pikachu behind is a mystery to him; maybe he'd just woken up in an area near or farther from where the fake accident itself happened.

Tim is writing down shortened versions of what he says quickly into his phone.

"PCL had an 'accident' and claimed to shut their entire facility down, but part of it is still in use," he puts in.

Harry has to hold back a smile that to Tim would seemingly be for no reason. He just can't believe that he's here with his son, and they're working together as a team. Okay, maybe 'team' is a bit of a stretch, but partners...maybe. _Maybe_ partners. It sure felt like it during the battle with Greninja.

"Which tells us that they're still experimenting on the Pokémon we found," Harry finishes, a quick spike of anger surging through him at the thought. PCL is _not_ fully closed. Whatever Lucy had come across, it hadn't been the full truth. He had to hand it to her though; for a beginning reporter, she got a better start than the two of them had.

"Three Pancham cubs are missing," Tim makes sure to put in. His stomach drops at the thought of where they could be, who could have taken them from their mother and what could be happening to them _now._

"It could be because PCL is moving its Pokémon to a safer location for now because of the accident, but a big reason I don't believe that is because they would have taken Pangoro with them. Something is wrong there," Harry analyzes the best that he can with what little information they have. Scratch that—it's _plenty_ of information. For now. It's more than what they'd had upon first entering the supposedly abandoned facility.

"I just hope the cubs are okay," Tim says, and Pangoro lets out a low groan in agreement.

"If anything, these people will make sure they are so Pangoro will cooperate with them. They must already use them to get her to behave."

All the more reason to alert the RCPD.

"What was that voice you heard?"

Harry can tell that Tim wants to go back to the door just as much as he does, but going back there might mean more trouble, and possibly more Greninja. The door itself is locked and bolted tight, so they would need help to get it open, anyway.

"I'm just as lost as you are, kid," Harry mutters, placing a paw underneath his chin.

"Well, if you _did_ hear something...what did the voice say?" Tim asks. Who wouldn't be curious to know about a strange and mysterious voice that had come from seemingly out of nowhere? Harry is sure that Tim probably thinks he's crazy, but he's _positive_ that he'd heard something.

Something weird.

"Something about a promise that I don't remember making. It sounded pretty angry, though. Almost...betrayed. Like I knew whoever the voice belongs to from before I was transformed and did something to hurt it."

If he knows one thing, it had to be from a Pokémon, unless the lab had figured out how to enable humans to communicate telepathically.

Harry squeezes his eyes shut, curling his paws into fists. What if he had been involved in the experiments happening here?

Tim catches on to what he's thinking and becomes a surprising source of comfort. "You wouldn't do that," he says firmly.

He and his father have only been recently reunited after a decade and are practically strangers to one another, but Tim has finally gotten a feel of the kind of person Harry really is. A person that Tim once thought never cared about him, but has proven a little that he _does._ A person that Tim still finds himself reserved around, but he knows that his dad would never do anything to hurt people, and especially not innocent Pokémon.

Harry is touched that his son is putting a little more of his faith in him.

"All I know is the Greninja was guarding whatever is behind that door," he states to finish the rest of their overview of what they've discovered. "Are we missing anything else?"

"And you might be..." Tim stops. He doesn't need to finish.

Oh, yeah. He'd almost forgotten about that...

Harry doesn't react. He doesn't give the slightest hint that he might be just the tiniest bit worried. It's just a theory at this point, but this is the second time it's happened after using his powers and he isn't exactly eager to try and see if it happens again.

Turning into a regular Pikachu. A Pikachu that wouldn't know who he really is if his memories get wiped. He's fine for now as long as he doesn't use his powers, but Harry isn't sure that's the issue. He's been stuck as a Pikachu for...a little over a week now? The longer he stays as a Pokémon, the more he'll be affected. Using his powers must aggravate his 'condition,' but Tim's theory is also plausible. He should probably listen and hold back from using so much energy, even if it is somewhat addicting...

"How's your foot?" Tim questions to change the subject. It looks like Pikachu can put more weight on it now, which is good. He won't need to sit on his shoulders anymore.

"It's better." Harry lifts his foot to inspect it carefully. "You were right, it's just a cut and doesn't hurt as bad as I thought it did. Running from and battling Greninja proved that." It's all too easy to forget about pain when your life is in danger—when his _son's_ life is in danger. He's just glad he knew how to use his powers right from the start of the battle this time. He still can't believe that they'd both taken part in a _battle._

"We should get out of here while we can," Tim suggests, and Harry nods quickly in agreement.

"Their security systems are probably down because of the accident, but who knows how long before it's working again."

"I'm going to call Yoshida and let him know what we found. These Pokémon need help. Do you think I'll actually get arrested this time?"

Tim has committed a felony or two already just by breaking and entering into the lab. In any other circumstance, Harry would be worried that Tim could get in a lot of trouble. The lab, however, isn't supposed to be running. How could one get in trouble for breaking into a place that's supposed to be shut down? The worst is probably trespassing.

"Nah, I think you'll be fine. I'll be awake this time if Hide tries to give you any trouble, though."

Tim nods, a slight smile forming. He takes a quick snapshot of Pangoro for proof, then prepares himself and makes a call to Yoshida.

"The police are coming," Tim says as he hangs up his phone after quite a mouthful from the lieutenant. "Yoshida was _not_ happy about me being here at all. He wants us to get out as soon as we can."

Harry finally allows himself to relax, if only a little.

After a few minutes of searching for keys or some kind of access that doesn't want to be found, they regretfully decide that they have to leave Pangoro behind. They've stayed long enough as it is, the risk of them being caught increasing.

"Help is on the way," Harry tells Pangoro softly. She moans again over the loss of her three cubs, and Harry's heart flutters. He wouldn't know what to do if he ever lost his son or Tim went missing. "I promise, we'll do our best to find your cubs."

He's not sure if he should be making another promise he might not be able to keep.

Pangoro nods slowly, barely able to lift her head, but her far away gaze is just the slightest bit brighter with the knowledge that someone is on her side.

"Let's get out of here," Harry says. They've gone over everything that happened and alerted the RCPD to illegal activity—Harry would call today a big success.

Walking past the mini Torterra garden is just as hard as leaving Pangoro. Tim had broken the glass because their enclosure leads to the outside, but they don't seem to realize that they can leave at any time they choose.

Who would do this to such innocent Pokémon? Keeping them in cages and enclosures much too small, but the worst being the experiments?

"I wonder what 'growth enhancement' means," Tim wonders, more to himself than Pikachu.

"Who knows. The Torterra might turn into giants," Harry suggests. "Can you imagine a giant Torterra garden?"

Tim shudders at the thought. Whatever this lab is trying to accomplish, it isn't natural.

They come across the same Greninja that they'd battled together. It twitches and Tim jumps, ready to run, but it's still weak and can't get up. Tim picks up his pace, Harry following just as quick.

"Gre...nin...ja," it says suddenly, tone cold and harsh.

Harry stops short, turning back around. The Greninja faints again before he can even think of asking the Pokémon what it meant.

No, it can't be...that would mean...he was wrong about...

"What did it say?" Tim asks, curious. One of the only good things about being stuck as a Pikachu has to be the ability to understand other Pokémon, and Tim can't help but wonder what it's like.

Harry keeps himself cool and collected. As a detective, he's had to lie maybe once or twice to get answers he needed, but his son is different. It's a lot harder to keep a straight face and not give away any hints that he isn't telling the truth.

"Something about eating every single berry in the world," he replies, trying his best not to sound nervous or anything that would give away he's lying. He hates to lie to anyone in general, but especially Tim. He doesn't _want_ to lie to his son, but if what the Greninja said is true, then it's necessary. He might be overreacting. The Greninja could just be mumbling nonsense in its sleep, but Harry has a bad feeling it can't be nonsense...

Tim has to hold back a snort.

Good. He doesn't suspect anything. Harry can only hope it will stay that way until he can come up with a plan about what to do next.

xxxx

Tim drops Lucy's car off at her home, and they take the bus the rest of the way back to the apartment. She had wanted to know about everything that they'd found in the lab, but at the same time advised that Tim should stay away unless he wants to catch her cold.

"So no more using your powers," Tim says as they walk into the apartment again. It's been a long day, both equally tired from everything they had discovered.

Harry can't get what the Greninja had told him out of his head, so he humors Tim to try and distract himself.

"Not even to charge your phone?" he wants to double check, doing his best to keep distracting himself from thinking of the impossible.

Tim is firm in his decision as he moves further into the apartment. "No."

Harry is more touched than disappointed about the whole not-using-his-powers thing. Tim cares enough that he's stopping him from using his powers, and that's more than Harry can ask for.

"Great. Now I have these awesome powers and I can't even use them," he says in a mock-whimper.

He can't protect Tim anymore if that time comes again.

Tim himself wobbles suddenly, almost losing his balance but managing to catch himself.

"Whoa. Are you alright?" Harry asks, focusing all of his attention on his son.

"I'm fine."

Harry doesn't believe him. Not at all.

"You don't look so good..."

"I'm _fine,"_ Tim repeats firmly, but a cough gives him away. He has to sit on the couch to avoid almost falling again.

Harry isn't the best detective of Ryme City for nothing; he can immediately tell when someone is lying, _especially_ his own son, however reserved he is. Tim isn't the type to admit it when something is wrong, but Harry knows. To confirm, he wipes a paw over Tim's forehead. Tim squeezes his eyes shut at the soft contact.

Burning to the touch—definitely a fever.

"Pikachu..." he murmurs, annoyed. All he wants to do is _sleep._

Tim knows it isn't right to keep calling him that, especially with what they just figured out. It would only make the situation worse with Harry delving deeper into his new identity as a Pikachu until he's too far gone. Tim _knows_ who the Pikachu is now, he _does,_ but...it doesn't mean he _accepts_ it. He just can't bring himself to call Pikachu by... _that_ name. That simple, three-lettered name. He'd called him that once upon realizing who he really was after Pikachu proved it, but once is enough.

"I must have gotten it from Lucy," he mumbles, opening his eyes again to a spinning ceiling. She had wanted him to stay away so he wouldn't catch it but it looks like he has anyway, much to his misfortune. Though who could blame him with everything that's been going on lately?

"See? You two have a lot in common already," Pikachu jokes lamely.

Tim reaches a hand up to his head in an attempt to stop the spinning that gets worse just from Pikachu's comment. 

"I'll be right back." Before Tim can even ask why, Pikachu has already darted off in the other direction.

He returns just as quick with a thermometer in his paw. Tim groans, but allows Pikachu to place it in his mouth. The yellow Pokémon's eyes widen when it beeps and he takes it out.

 _"Definitely_ a fever..."

Tim barely hears him. The sickness had come on so quickly that all he can concentrate on is how dizzy he feels now, resting his head on the pillow he's been using and sliding his eyes closed.

"You have to eat something before falling asleep. I'll warm up some soup," Pikachu says before he can fully shut his eyes.

"Don't set the apartment on fire," Tim warns.

"I'll try not to," Harry says a little too unconvincingly.

Tim rests his eyes while Pikachu gets the soup ready.

He doesn't have the chance to completely fall asleep when Pikachu is in front of him on the floor again, setting the bowl of soup and a glass of water onto the coffee table.

Tim sits back up, his head spinning once more. He doesn't want to; food is the last thing his sensitive stomach wants right now, but Pikachu is watching his every move too intently for him _not_ to eat. He drinks a bit of water first to quench his unexpected thirst, finishing the glass as he eats the soup noodle by noodle.

His stomach decides that it's had enough, threatening to bring the soup back up. Tim coughs again, attempting to lay back down on the couch, but Pikachu apparently isn't going to allow that. Tim is almost ready to scream at him to just go away and let him sleep when Pikachu gives an explanation.

"You can have my bed tonight," he says softly.

Tim blinks, unsure if he believes that Pikachu is willing to give up his bed just like that. But since he's sick, he supposes that his father is happy to let him have it for one night only, just like he allowed him to sit on his shoulder as a one time thing.

"But just until you're better."

And then it's back to the couch; Tim figured as much. He gets up from the couch the best that he can with miminal help from Pikachu since the mouse is too short to even try and catch him. He wills himself to make it into Pikachu's room without stumbling, the idea of sleeping on an actual bed urging him on. Pikachu stays near him in case he falls despite his small size.

Tim gets dressed into comfortable night clothes once they're inside Pikachu's room at last. He gets himself into the bed, his muscles feeling weak. He allows himself to sink underneath the covers. Pikachu stares up at him from the floor, his expression full of concern.

"Goodnight," Tim murmurs, more tired than he's been in a long time. "And...thanks."

Harry allows himself to breathe a small sigh of relief. The last time he'd looked after his son while he was sick had been _years_ ago, and he's terrified he's doing it all wrong now. He can't be doing it _right_ if he's stuck in the body of a tiny yellow Pokémon, but Tim's words comfort him just the slightest.

"I'll leave the door open a little in case you need me," Pikachu says as he makes his way out. "I don't mind if you have to wake me up."

Tim manages a small nod, his eyes finally closing in a somewhat restful sleep as he wonders if this is what it would have been like with his dad if he had decided to get on the train.

xxxx

He doesn't know how many hours into the night it's been, but the bedroom door creaking open a little wider than Pikachu had left it stirs Tim back into a semi-awake state. He blinks, his vision blurry against the darkness, but he stays still as he realizes that someone is coming into the room.

Or more specifically, _Pikachu_ is coming into the room. It isn't like there's anyone else in the apartment.

Tim is stunned at the bed's sudden and short incline, a sure sign that Pikachu had jumped onto it. The new, light weight on the bed stays near the end. Tim can just barely see a faded-yellow shape curling up into a ball.

Well, fine. It isn't like Tim was willing to share his father's bed with him when the mouse had first offered, so technically it's his own fault having to sleep on the couch since he's too stubborn to use his childhood room.

He's tempted to wake up and surprise Pikachu, but with his weak muscles it's hard to move and put any effort into it. The light weight starts crawling, moving closer to him very hesitantly. Tim remains stock-still, allowing Pikachu to bump gently against his backside. Soon, the human-turned-electric mouse is breathing just as calmly as he is.

It reminds Tim too much of when he used to sneak into his mom and dad's room if he ever got scared, as Pikachu had said he would do, but he had denied doing so at all, and he finds that the reminder isn't necessarily a bad thing with their roles reversed.

Pikachu is great at hiding it but _he's_ the one who's scared now, Tim can tell that much. If he was in the same situation, he'd probably be _terrified._ The idea of losing who you are, of the possibility that you might never return to normal...Tim is pretty sure he wouldn't handle it as well as the world-class detective is, or as well as he _thinks_ his dad is.

He doesn't give any indication that he's still awake, not moving an inch.

So he allows his father to stay close to him and soon, they both fall into a comfortable sleep with each other's silent reassurance.

xxxx

Harry is first to wake up. He's surprised to find that he had managed to stay in his curled position next to Tim all night, and his son hadn't really moved or tried to push him away. He can't risk his son waking up and finding him here, though, so he should really be taking his leave.

But before he does, he wipes a paw across Tim's forehead again. It's not burning to the touch anymore, and Harry is relieved. It must have just been a quick virus going around, and he wonders if Lucy has gotten over it just as fast. His son still needs to rest. He'll probably be in bed most or all of today, leaving it up to Harry to work on his case and what they'd discovered at the lab yesterday.

He should have been working on his case alone from the very start. It had just been a miracle that Tim showed up in his apartment, and they found out they could understand each other. Harry took advantage of that when he really _shouldn't_ have, putting Tim's safety at risk the moment he was involved and those Aipom had attacked them. Then the Charizard and Greninja...

He can't put his own son in danger anymore. He has to do this alone. If what the Greninja had said is true, then this part of the case is more dangerous than all of the Pokémon they'd encountered combined.

Writing with his paw is a bit easier than typing. The words are very shaky and nearly illegible, but still readable. He never really had the chance to prove to Hide who he was before the lieutenant became annoyed with him and finally got him to go away. Why would he have been handed a piece of paper and a pen by someone who could _never_ wrap his mind around the concept of a human turning into a Pokémon? But now he has all the time in the world to make sure his son has at least some idea of what's going on. He places the note on the stand next to the bed where Tim is sure to see it, along with a new glass of fresh water to drink.

He won't like it. He won't be happy with him, but it's something Harry _needs_ to do by himself.

The fluffy detective, in turn, doesn't like the idea of leaving his son to recover on his own, but he has to focus on the fact that Tim is an adult and can take care of himelf, something he'd unfortunately had to do over the years that they had been separated. At least he has the small comfort that Tim will be stuck in the apartment where it's safe.

Harry stays on the bed for just a moment longer, his heart breaking at the thought of leaving his son once again.

It's necessary. By leaving Tim, he's _protecting_ him.

"I'm sorry, kid."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tim is NOT going to be happy when he wakes up and finds Harry gone...and just when things were starting to maybe get a little better between them...


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If this chapter is just as confusing to you as it is to Tim and Harry, then good. It's supposed to be ;) 
> 
> Also, prepare yourself for lots of angst...

Harry never thought he'd be standing in front of the entrance to Clifford Enterprises. He _especially_ never thought he'd be standing in front of the building under the suspicion that Howard Clifford himself is taking part in the illegal activity that he and Tim had found at the lab.

_"Master wants more power...master found a way to get more power. He will have **all** power, just like yours."_

It hadn't taken him long to figure out who the Greninja was talking about. Who already has a lot of power, but would only want more for personal gain or _worse?_ Who would a Pokémon call _master_ instead of _partner?_

Howard Clifford, despite having created Ryme City himself, must want more power—power like his electricity, which could only mean...

 _Howard Clifford_ is the one behind PCL and the horrible experiments going on. The experiments that must be meant for trying to manipulate evolutions and turning humans into Pokémon, an idea that could ruin the very foundation of Ryme City itself.

Power 'like yours' as the Greninja had said could only mean that Howard wants to have the power that only a Pokémon can wield, and so he had found a way for humans to turn into Pokémon so humanity as a whole can also wield said power.

There is also the possibility that Clifford might have had something to do with faking his death, and Harry isn't sure what to think about that. Being involved in the experiments to gain extra power makes sense, but why would Howard want him dead? Because he had been close to finding out the truth as a human, and so he faked a car crash that caused everyone he knows to think he's gone?

Or maybe turning him into a Pokémon was a mistake...something that Howard hadn't meant to do in the first place, so he had tried to cover up his turning-human-into Pokémon experiments by 'causing' the fake wreck to throw off the RCPD from snooping around too much in PCL.

But Harry can feel deep down that Howard must have _wanted_ him dead because he had been close to finding out what the city's creator was planning, and so he had turned him into a Pikachu to stay quiet. Why he hadn't just killed him, Harry doesn't know. Maybe he needed a test subject for the experiment, and Harry had just been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

 _Maybe I got in too deep,_ Harry recalls himself saying to Tim when they had sat at the café. _Mixed up with the wrong crowd, that kinda thing. Happens to the best of us._

 _This_ is why he had to come by himself and leave his son behind. It had taken a lot out of Harry in a short amount of time just to come up with the 'berry' excuse when Tim had asked him what the Greninja said. Pokémon are one thing, but he doesn't want Tim getting involved with the wrong people who would be all too willing to go after him if they find out Harry Goodman's _son_ is in on the case now.

Harry supposes that another advantage of being turned into a Pikachu is that he doesn't need a warrant in order to get inside and do some searching to find out if he's right about Howard, and he hopes to Arceus that he _isn't_ and that the Greninja really had just been spouting nonsense after losing a battle with a Pikachu. He'd been on good terms with both Howard and Roger (well, maybe less so with Roger) when he was still human and he doesn't want to falsely accuse either of them—especially not the man who had brought Ryme City to life, the man who values the bond between Pokémon and partner above all else.

Which is why he has to get inside and figure this out. _Innocent until proven guilty_ flashes quickly across his mind.

Yet another advantage of being a Pokémon in Ryme City is that he doesn't have to worry about being captured in a Poké Ball, the only way to 'catch' a Pokémon being to convince one to become a partner. Both ends have to agree.

The Clifford building is easy enough to get into; easier than his office at the top of the CNM tower, that is. All he needs to do is wait for someone to go in, which doesn't take too long, seeing as it is morning when workers are just starting to go inside. Automatic doors are also a plus. He can remember exactly where to go thanks to his human memories, skittering fast through the lobby before the receptionist can notice him and making use of a big plant pot, the leaves sticking out every which way that's absolutely perfect to hide under so no one walking by will see him.

Getting higher up a few floors is another challenge. It isn't like he can just hitch a ride in the elevator; whoever's inside will become suspicious that he's not with a human partner. Stairs are a more viable option, and Harry is thankful that the office building isn't a hundred stories tall like its partner tower.

If only Tim was here with him so he could sit on his shoulders once more but then again, his son most likely wouldn't have any of it. He'd said that it was a one time thing only after all, and Harry respects that. He concentrates on getting up the stairs, hopping up one after the other fairly easily until his legs almost give out and he has to take a break, panting slightly before getting back up and continuing onward, all the while hoping that no one is going to try and beat their step count by going up or down the stairs at the same time he is.

He's lucky in that department, except when he finally reaches the top and sixth floor where Howard's office is located. The door opens that leads out into the hallway, an office worker emerging that must be heading out for lunch right about now. Thankfully he's on the phone, so it's not too much of a hassle for the small and yellow detective to race past the employee before he can be seen. Darting underneath a bench as two more office workers round the hallway corner, Harry stays somewhat well-hidden until they both go into the elevator and the door slides shut, signaling that it's safe for him to get out from under the bench.

From what Harry can remember as a human, Howard doesn't like to be disturbed while he's working. Everyone in the building knows that and so they usually leave his office alone, and in turn Harry knows he's safe for now and doesn't have to hide behind yet another plant pot as he listens to two voices echoing out from behind the office door that reads the man's name 'Howard Clifford.' He and Roger both like to come to this office first thing in the morning before heading over to take care of things at CNM.

"How did they find out?! I thought we had all of it covered! _No one_ was going to find out that PCL was still running!" he can faintly hear Roger's voice yelling out from behind the door. They're arguing about something, and Harry is thankful that he has the ultra-sensitive hearing of a Pokémon now so he can hear their muffled shouting as if he's in the same room with them.

"Well they did, son, and the police are there at this very moment! They probably have Mewtwo in their hands right now! You know what that means?"

Harry cringes at Howard's harsh tone towards his son, but the detective's ears perk up at the strange name that Howard just spoke of.

_Mewtwo?_

Is that what's behind the door that he'd found? Is Mewtwo a Pokémon? The Pokémon that Harry assumed was behind the door and had tried to communicate telepathically with him? Harry's head starts to pound against all of this new information.

Why does the name _Mewtwo_ sound so familiar?

"We just lost _everything!"_ Howard continues to shout towards Roger.

"I didn't mean for it to happen like that! I don't know how they found out!" Roger shouts back, though maybe with a little less anger. More along the lines of surprise and annoyance that someone had discovered what's going on at PCL, and Harry can't help a small chuckle; what they have no idea of is that he and his son had been the ones to foil whatever they have planned.

But Roger's words sink in, and his chuckle fades.

No...that means... _Roger_ is in on the plan, too? Harry wouldn't put it past the man, but still...the fact that both father _and_ son are in on it sends a shiver down his spine and he isn't sure that he wants to keep listening, but he _has_ to in order to find out more.

"Maybe it would be better if I lost a son that can't seem to keep problematic situations that he creates under control," Harry can hear Howard grumble, more to himself than to his son.

 _Ouch,_ Harry thinks, feeling a sharp stab in his chest. How could a father say something like that to his own son? He and Tim may have argued a few times themselves, but Harry would never say anything like that...that he would suggest wanting to disown his son for making a mistake. But the mistake Roger had made, that he had allowed someone to break into PCL and ruin their plans must be the worst he'd ever made in Howard's eyes, and for good reason if the RCPD has just discovered what he and his father have been up to.

"I promise, I'll find a way to fix this. I'll get the police to leave, I'll come up with an excuse—"

"We've already lost the most important aspect that we _need._ I'm running out of _time._ You are off the project, Roger. I don't want to see you. I don't want to hear from you," Howard says sharply, and silence falls on Roger's end.

Harry takes advantage of the plant next to the door when it opens suddenly, and Howard is wheeled out by the same assistant that he remembers while still human. Odd...the assistant hadn't said anything during the whole argument. Wouldn't she have tried to back up Howard, at least? The blond-haired woman stops, and Harry immediately brings himself back behind the plant so she won't be able to see him.

 _There's nothing here...move along..._ Harry braces himself, not daring to even breathe, but Howard comes to his rescue at the last second.

"Is everything alright, Ms. Norman?" Howard questions his assistant.

She doesn't answer, choosing to keep moving forward instead. Now that Harry thinks about it, her name does sound just the slightest bit familiar. The woman never talked much, so maybe that's why he hadn't recognized her right away. She'd always been more in the background.

The two disappear down the hall, allowing Harry to breathe a small sigh of relief. Ms. Norman had left the office door open, and Roger sighs from back inside the office.

"I'm so sorry, Dad," Roger utters to himself. Harry stays hidden from behind the plant in case Howard and Ms. Norman come back, or if Roger decides to leave the room. "It was never going to work. I just can't _find_ a way for it to work."

Harry can't help but wonder if he means the experiments that are going on at PCL, or the experiment that turned him into a Pikachu.

 _Well, it **did** work,_ Harry thinks morosely. The turning people into Pokémon part, at least. But how does Roger not know that? Was he not involved in the experiment that had transformed him into a Pikachu? Maybe Howard had done the experiment without Roger knowing.

Harry almost wants to try and prove that he's _Harry_ like he had tried and failed to do with Hide, but he holds himself back. He can't have the wrong people knowing that he's still alive and that a part of their plan had actually worked, even if there's a chance that Roger might help him get back to normal since he had apparently been a _part_ of it all. The hat on his head is a dead giveaway that he would surely recognize as Harry Goodman's hat. As for the evolution experiments, maybe that's also what Roger means.

The detective smirks a bit in spite of what he's just discovered. _None_ of it is going to work thanks to he and Tim going to PCL and letting the RCPD know about what they'd found. He hopes Pangoro is out of the cage by now and Mewtwo...he hopes Mewtwo has been freed from behind the bolted door, as well. No way would Hide try to keep a powerful Pokémon like that under lock and key, if Mewtwo even _is_ a powerful Pokémon.

If it's a _dangerous_ Pokémon however, that's a different story and Hide would do what he has to in order to keep Ryme City safe.

Roger's voice snaps Harry back to the present and what he needs to stay focused on.

"I promise I'm going to fix this," he says to no one but himself, since Howard already left. "It has to work. It _has_ to."

Again, Harry wonders just what Roger means by 'it.' If only he would be more specific, but Roger has other plans. Harry can hear him rummage around his desk, gathering papers. Soon enough and to Harry's delight, he's walking out of his office as well, leaving the door wide open as a bonus.

Harry takes his chances, darting fast into Howard's office. He really shouldn't stay in here any longer than he has to for fear that Howard or Roger might come back or just an office worker in general, but so far he's lucky.

There has to be a clue as to what Roger meant somewhere in here, but he can't find _anything._ No clues whatsoever. The top of Howard's desk is neat and tidy without any papers scattered around. A chair is on one side but not the other so his wheelchair can fit. All in all, it's an office just like any other that doesn't seem one bit suspicious.

Nothing except a bottom desk drawer that refuses to be opened, even if the rest can be.

He was fine when he'd used his powers for more mundane things, like making toast and charging Tim's phone. Doing those things hadn't required using too much of his energy, so Harry assumes that he'll be fine doing this one small, yet important task. If this is the only drawer that's locked, something important has to be inside, and he _needs_ to know.

His electricity makes a good replacement for a paperclip. He pushes a cheek pouch right up against the drawer, creating just the slightest string of static small enough to fit inside the lock. Twisting and turning the small spark string until something gives in at last, the lock clicks and the drawer opens. Standing on two hind feet to peek inside, Harry is surprised to find that all that's there is a single...video tape? Well, it's good enough for him. If Howard wanted to keep this tape close by him where he would always know where it was, then it has to be important. Something important that Howard wants to _hide._

Checking out the door to make sure that no one is coming, Harry finds that luckily, the coast is still clear. No Howard or Roger or any other office workers coming by, and he's thankful that the room is farther into the back of the building where it's less likely to be noticed. Less likely that anyone would notice Howard taking part in something _suspicious,_ but Harry pushes that thought away for now.

Still, he closes the door until just a crack is open that he can easily slip out of in an emergency situation, just in case someone ends up coming inside. The TV reminds Harry of the one in Hide's that they use to play back police footage. Picking up the remote next to it, Harry places the tape inside.

He clicks the remote, doing his best to mentally prepare himself for what he's about to see, and the screen flickers to life. He lowers the volume a few notches so no one outside will hear; thanks to his newly sensitive ears, he can hear the video just fine.

It's the big and white circle structure that they'd seen in the room with broken glass, the glass now _not_ so broken and fitting perfectly into the middle to encase a strange Pokémon with a long, purple tail that swishes slowly back and forth inside the liquid.

"Day 42," a female doctor in a white lab coat says. _Dr. Laurent..._ "After much trial and error, we've perfected a stable method to extract Mewtwo's DNA."

There's that name again. Harry shivers at the odd familiarity, but he still can't place it. He doesn't even recognize or remember the Pokémon inside the containment chamber.

 _So **that's** Mewtwo,_ is all Harry can think, paying closer attention to the video when it flashes to a new clip.

Mewtwo flinches sharply, letting out a pained screech that makes Harry's heart flutter uneasily. The doctor and scientists are _hurting_ it...

"Day 60. Clinical trials have proven successful. The inhalant results in confusion and the total loss of free will, which in turn makes the Pokémon go wild. We've designated this chemical as serum R."

Harry stares wide-eyed at the screen. _So Sebastian was right about R coming from the doctor. But they extracted it from a Pokémon called Mewtwo?_

"They used Mewtwo to make R," Harry murmurs out loud to himself, making sure to keep his voice quiet even though he's positive anyone other than Tim would only be able to hear _pika, pika._ Another realization strikes him as he thinks back farther to when he and Tim busted the underground battles. "And they were testing it at the Roundhouse."

"Day 68. The neural link is operational."

Dr. Laurent places the said neural link on top of a glass model of a human head, and Harry tilts his own head to the side. What is _that_ thing for? Something to do with the R?

The video flashes again.

_Alert. Condition: **Red.**_

"No! We're losing power in the containment—"

Harry has to force himself to allow the video to keep playing, his heart picking up speed as he rewinds the video back to the beginning.

"Day 1. The lab is almost fully operational. All that remains now is to capture the most powerful Pokémon known to mankind: Mewtwo. It escaped nearly twenty years ago from the Kanto region. Fortunately, our benefactor's hired a specialist to track it down. Good luck, Detective Goodman."

 _Wait... **me?** I was there?_ Harry thinks wildly, his heart pounding almost out of control now. The video is showing him as a human walking out of the room away from the doctor, but...that _can't_ be him. He would never do something like this, just as Tim said!

The video distorts into static again until it stabilizes and the lab is back.

"Day 70. Harry Goodman unfortunately did not survive the accident. Mewtwo killed him, and so we had to 'fake' his death in a car crash. The psychic has been placed in a far more secure containment chamber. It won't dare try and escape again."

Harry is even more confused now than when he'd first heard the voice from behind the door. _Wait._ _They think I...died in the accident with Mewtwo? But that doesn't make any sense. Wouldn't they have been the ones to actually try and kill me?_

Maybe he was wrong. Maybe Mewtwo really _is_ dangerous and needs to be kept in containment.

"Day 75. Meanwhile, our side experiments of the human into Pokémon transformation tests have failed in a sense. The neural link will transfer one's mind into a Pokémon, while the non-neural link experiments will change humans entirely into the body of a Pokémon, changing their bodies _and_ minds."

Harry's ears perk up higher than they've ever been, his stomach twisting into knots at what the doctor just said. Something to do with transforming humans into Pokémon, which is _exactly_ what had happened to him. He listens like his life depends on it and in a way it _does,_ letting his guard down and not caring if someone comes into the office and sees him watching the TV.

"Our test subjects can be transformed into an entirely new species without many side effects, but any attempts to reverse the transformations are unsuccessful. The only notable side effect is losing their minds."

What did she just say...?

His ears start ringing. Unsuccessful.

_No...it can't be permanent..._

But the doctor confirms what he fears most. "They remain stuck in the Pokémon forms they were changed into. However, we have discovered—"

The video cuts off suddenly, static overriding the images of the lab and doctor.

That strange pressure he'd felt by the bolted door at the lab creeps up on him again and Harry attempts to slow his racing thoughts, but they only seem to get _worse,_ evolving into full-on images like the ones he'd seen on the TV. But the strangest part is that the TV itself is still only showing static...

He's back in the lab, but it's empty this time. Empty apart from the same purple-tailed Pokémon he'd seen in the video, trapped in the same circle containment chamber. He's right in front of it, but the weirdest part is that he doesn't seem nervous to be so close.

_"Tim is my son," he can hear the echo of his own voice saying. He can't exactly see himself, but Harry feels like he's back in his human body where he belongs._

_"I wish to meet him," a deep and almost echoey kind of voice says, but the Pokémon's mouth isn't even moving._

_"One day," Harry hears himself reply. "I'll bring him to you."_

And then he's back in Howard's office almost as suddenly as the images had come, breathing so hard he has to place a paw over his chest. 

_Bring him to you?_ As in, he was going to _bring_ Tim to the Pokémon? But a more important matter presses harshly against his aching head.

There has to be more! The video cut off what the doctor was about to say, maybe they found a way for the transformations to be reversed. He has to stay hopeful, positive...he _can't_ be stuck as a Pikachu forever!

But he can't linger on that now, not when there's a more important matter at hand...or paw. He has to get back to Tim and tell him what he's found out and what he just saw in the strange 'flashback' that he just experienced, if that's what it can even be called. He must be remembering more.

In his haste and panic, he forgets to take the tape out of the TV and put it back where it belongs in Howard's desk.

xxxx

_I might have figured something out. Have to go alone._

_Too dangerous. Stay where it's safe._

_Love, Da-Pikachu._

The 'Da' part is scribbled out clumsily, but Tim can still read it perfectly. At least his father is still holding up his end of the deal about only being referred to as Pikachu _while_ he's a Pikachu, but Tim is more concerned with the top part of what he'd written.

Too _dangerous?_ They've taken on crazy Aipom, a drugged Charizard and a Geninja, and Pikachu thinks the next step in the case is too _dangerous?_

Fine.

Without warning, a familiar surge of anger flares through him. An anger that he's much too familiar with that's directed at his father, as usual.

His mind flashes back to when they'd been leaving PCL. So Pikachu had _lied_ to him about what Greninja said so he wouldn't try and follow after him.

He knew he couldn't trust his father. Pikachu had _lied,_ he'd up and left him alone while he was sick and didn't think his own son could handle any more than what they've already accomplished together. He ignores the glass of water that Pikachu had left next to the note, suddenly feeling more queasy than anything his cold could have done to him.

Tim moves from the bedroom to sit on the couch where he's going to wait for Pikachu and give him a piece of his mind when he returns. He feels much better now with his fever gone, but waking up and finding his father gone is much worse than a stupid cold.

Except that stupid cold comes rushing back full-force, and he's glad he's sitting on the couch now. Except he's _not_ sitting on the couch anymore, finding himself in what seems to be a lab.

_"Tim is my son," he can hear the echo of what sounds like his father saying. He can't exactly see his dad, but why does Tim feel like he's back in his human body where he belongs?_

_"I wish to meet him," a deep and almost echoey kind of voice says, but the Pokémon's mouth isn't even moving._

_"One day," he can hear his father's voice reply. "I'll bring him to you."_

_...What's happening?_ Tim is barely able to think. The lab image distorts and he's back in the apartment just as quick.

He'd seen and heard his father talking to...a _Pokémon?_ His father was going to _bring_ him to that Pokémon? It didn't look too friendly, either. It had been stuck in containment, so the Pokémon had to have been dangerous.Maybe he isn't as well as he thinks he is, yet...he would feel more comforted that Pikachu is suddenly back in the room if he wasn't so _angry_ at him. He hadn't even heard the apartment door open, but Pikachu is _here_ now.

"Thanks for leaving today," he grumbles. Pikachu glances up at him from the floor. If Tim wasn't so caught up in his anger towards the mouse, he might have paid more attention to just how _spooked_ Pikachu seems.

"I had to, Tim," Harry says. Out of all the things that have happened today and what he's discovered, the one thing he is sure of is that Tim was safe the whole time back here in the apartment. If Howard or Roger had seen him...

"You lied to me! You left me _again!_ You were going to hand me over to a crazy Pokémon!"

Wait. How does Tim know that? He'd thought it was just a flashback he might be remembering, but maybe there was something more to it. Dr. Laurent had described the Pokémon as a psychic, maybe it was trying to communicate with them somehow. But why would a psychic that had apparently ' _killed'_ him in the lab accident try to talk with them?

"No, I-I would never..."

He'd _never_ do that to Tim. Not his own _son._ But Tim doesn't believe him for a second, and Harry doesn't blame him. He's not sure what he'd seen either, but he has to be honest with himself. He has partial amnesia and Tim hasn't seen him in years, _neither_ of them can say what he would or wouldn't do. The flashbacks, visions, or _whatever_ they were just proved that.

He'd been talking to the Pokémon, telling it about Tim and how he wanted to bring him to it. They had _both_ just seen it.

Why? It was almost like he'd been planning to hand his own son over to a maniac Pokémon, just as Tim said now.

"The thing is, Pikachu," he can barely hear Tim say, but his son's words hit harder than anything he'd heard the doctor say in the video. "I never know when you're going to leave. Or if you'll ever come back."

Harry knows what he has to do now. It's crushing him deep inside, but it's necessary just like when he'd left that morning.

"Fine. Just go," he gets out through clenched teeth. "And my name _isn't_ Pikachu. I'm..." He stops. Who is he? He can't remember, but it doesn't scare him like it should.

Tim's anger cuts short for a moment, his eyes growing just the slightest bit gentle. Maybe he's being too hard on his father. He had obviously figured something out today that has him just as upset, maybe he should forget his own selfish wants for once. They're in on this case together, they have to _finish_ it together.

But Pikachu isn't having any of it.

"I left you behind this time because I was trying to _protect_ you but you don't seem to get that, so just go! You're better off without me!" 

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it—" Tim starts, getting up from the couch when sparks of electricity flash on both sides of Pikachu's cheeks. He's having another episode and he doesn't even realize it...Tim takes gentle hold of a paw to try and calm Pikachu down, but it isn't _working._ The flashing only gets _worse._

"Go!" Harry shouts, unsure how much more of his heart breaking he can handle. His son _needs_ to be out of the picture, it's too dangerous...but Tim still isn't letting go of his paw.

"I'm not leaving," Tim says firmly. "I'm just as much a part of this case as you are and you can't try to keep me out of it."

Fine. If Tim isn't going to leave, he'll _make_ him leave. It's for his own good, for his own safety...

A terrified screech immediately snaps Harry out of his dazed concentration to draw as much energy out of himself as he can. 

...What just happened? But by the way Tim is holding one hand tenderly and his body is shaking, Harry knows _exactly_ what just happened.

He just zapped his own son... _intentionally._

It might have been to try his best to protect him again by getting him to leave, but he had still done it with the intent to _hurt_ Tim. A sudden wave of nausea washes over him.

Tim doesn't say another word.

Harry doesn't have the chance to ask him if he's alright, because his son is already on his way out the apartment door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should probably mention now that this story also takes bits and pieces from the Detective Pikachu 3DS game, and so Roger indeed may or may not be a part of this mess.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit shorter than usual, but this chapter is important ;)

Tim doesn't regret leaving the apartment. It's what he _should_ have done the moment the Pikachu first started talking, before he actually convinced him that he's his _father._

He walks along the neon-lit street slowly, holding his injured hand with tender care. His head is throbbing and if he had longer hair, he's sure it would be standing straight up or be sticking out all over the place. Both of his hands are still shaky, but his right hand hurts the most where Pikachu had...

His 'father' had shocked him, and Tim isn't sure what hurts worse; the actual shock itself or the fact Pikachu actually did it without second thought. If he feels the way he does right now, he can only imagine how _Charizard_ must have felt after that full-on Thunderbolt. He wishes he was more like the main character in his favorite TV show who whenever he got shocked by his own Pikachu, never seemed worse for wear. Weird...he hasn't thought about that show in a long time, and here he is with a 'Pikachu' of his very own.

But this is real life, and he's been brought back to its harsh reality.

Since meeting his father-turned-Pikachu in the apartment, he's only been reminded of why he decided to stay home with his grandparents all those years ago. They've been doing nothing but arguing and yelling at each other, and Pikachu has lied to him more often than not. He left him by himself in the apartment when he was sick, and his leftover headache is only worse now thanks to getting shocked. He doesn't need this kind of stress in his life. Tim is sure that this is what it really would have been like between the two of them if he had decided to get on the train, and he doesn't regret his decision to stay home.

Not at all.

He never has, and he isn't going to start now. His so-called _father_ deserves to be alone without him, stuck in a Pikachu body for the rest of his life. Everyone will continue on thinking he's dead, the only person with any knowledge of the actual truth being Tim himself and while he may have wanted to help at the start, his desire to help get his father back to normal has just been thrown out the window. He doesn't even care if Harry turns into a regular Pikachu. Maybe then, he'll be gone for good and out of his life like he always hoped.

He shouldn't be here right now. He should be _home._ If he had left Ryme City sooner, he'd be with his grandma and working at his insurance job like he's supposed to day after day, and he wants nothing more than to lay down in bed in his normal room without the Pikachu ears and battle posters all over the wall. He never should have allowed Pikachu to stay close to him the night before.

Tim doesn't even realize he's been sitting in his father's favorite café until a voice snaps him out of his thinking. He forgot how close the Hi-Hat really is to his father's apartment, and he's not sure why he'd subconsciously led himself here.

"My wife and three kids are missing," the man next to him suddenly grumbles.

"I'm sorry," Tim says with a blink, genuine. The number of his missing kids sticks out in his mind for some reason. The man almost reminds him of Harry. He looks kind enough, wearing a jacket to fend off the cold and glasses, holding a cup of coffee in between both of his hands. Tim hadn't ordered anything, his mind still in too much of a daze.

"Have been for over a week, now. I don't know if I did something wrong and she left, but why she would take the kids without saying goodbye..."

A week...funny, his father was turned into a Pikachu last week by crazy scientists at a place called PCL.

The man's words echo back at him. A wife and three kids...three... _missing,_ just like his father had been.

"I've done everything I could, but I can tell when the police want to give up. They already suggested that she was..." the man trails off, shaking his head and holding his coffee tighter. "But she wasn't like that. She'd never...cheat. Or leave just like that without saying goodbye, or giving the kids a chance to say goodbye," he says again more firmly as if to convince himself.

Tim stays respectfully quiet as he goes on.

"They won't say it, but they think they're dead already. I can read that loud and clear on their faces," he mumbles, staring blankly into his cup. "And when the cops think someone is dead, they aren't much help."

Tim gives a slight nod in agreement. He knows how that feels, especially when he'd tried to convince Yoshida that Harry is still alive, but stuck in the body of a Pikachu. He'd been dismissed pretty quickly.

The man's words enter his aching head a little more clearly the harder he tries to think through the haze of Pikachu's shock.

His family presumed _dead,_ just like his father. Tim doesn't know why, but he has the sudden urge to look at his notes that he'd written in his phone, his shocked hand still a bit shaky.

No...it can't be...Tim glances at the man as he takes another sip of his coffee, then back to the notes in his phone.

_Three Pancham cubs are missing._

The man next to him is saying that his wife and _three kids_ are all missing.

"A lot of bad things can happen in the city, I know that. But how does nearly an entire family go missing at the same time?" the man asks, more to himself than Tim.

Would PCL really take the experiments that far? Tim doesn't doubt it. They'd experimented on his father and if they were desperate to get more data or whatever they needed, kidnapping wouldn't be much of a problem. But why hadn't the Pangoro said anything to Harry back at PCL? Had she been threatened into silence, and they had taken her cubs _(children)_ away from her? Or maybe it was because...

Tim's eyes widen. The more that he thinks back on it, the more it starts to make a horrifying kind of sense. The Pangoro had been acting like just a regular Pangoro, just like Harry has been acting like a regular Pikachu the more he uses his powers. But that's just a theory. Maybe it's not because of powers, but how _long_ a human stays as a Pokémon. Or maybe it just affects everyone differently.

Tim shudders. _Everyone..._ maybe this case is even bigger than he thought, and his father isn't the only one who needs help getting back to normal.

But it's fine, right? He and Pikachu had alerted the RCPD, and the police are probably at PCL at this very moment trying to make sense of things like he and Pikachu have been trying to all week, until Harry had come to some sort of conclusion. Whatever that conclusion is, it had scared his father enough to zap his son into leaving for his own safety.

Why should he expect the police to try and make any sense out of humans turning into Pokémon when he and his father could hardly make any sense out of it at all themselves, and the exact same thing had happened to Harry? The case is getting warmer, closer to being solved, and Tim can feel it deep down in his...nope, he's not saying that stupid word his dad had come up with, not even to himself.

Maybe he should go back to the apartment...his father likely has more information that the both of them _need_ and they have to share it with the police so all of them can solve the case together, but Harry can't tell the police on his own without his son's help.

Tim doesn't dare try and bring up the absurd notion to the man that his wife and kids have possibly been turned into Pokémon for fear that he'd only be laughed at or worse.

"I've been coming here every Friday since," the man says, snapping Tim out of his thoughts again. "My youngest loved Ludicolo. And hot chocolate."

As if on cue, Ludicolo herself comes up to the two of them, offering a second cup of coffee (or who _knows_ how many he's had already) to the man, who gladly takes it to keep himself distracted from his missing family.

The green and shaggy Pokémon looks sadly at the man, checking behind him as if she's waiting for her favorite kid that he mentioned. When the kid doesn't show up, she sighs and returns to serving customers their drinks.

"What brought you in here tonight?" the man asks, almost hesitant.

Tim pauses a bit longer than he intends to.

"...Father issues," he answers in a mumble, because it's _true._

The man chuckles lightly, but Tim can tell he's not trying to be rude.

"I know it can be hard. Believe me, I've been there. But sometimes you just have to forget past mistakes and get on with your lives before it's too late and something happens."

Tim understands he's referencing his missing wife and kids, but is also trying to be helpful.

It might actually be working...

_Before something happens._

Tim's heart pounds just a little bit harder. Pikachu had used quite a bit of electricity to shock him the way he did and they might not know for sure how it works yet, exactly...but using his power seems to affect him the most. Maybe he should be more forgiving...

Tim says a polite goodbye and that he hopes the man's family is found soon, excusing himself from the counter a bit fast but hopefully not fast enough to be noticeable.

They have to convince Yoshida that Harry had been turned into a Pikachu, and then they can go from there. They have to find the missing Pancham cubs and a _cure_ to get them all back to normal. They have to figure out who's behind it all, and Tim has a bad feeling that Harry must have figured it out and that's why he tried so hard to push him away and keep him out of the case.

He has to get back to his father and hope he isn't too late.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like this fandom has been super quiet lately...where is everyone? xD We need more content!!


	12. Chapter 12

He doesn't deserve Tim's forgiveness at this point, and he knows he never really _has._ From the moment he left Tim after his mother died, forgiveness wasn't an option. He should have stayed when Tim needed him most, but he _hadn't_ and he regrets that decision every day.

Especially now.

Harry stares at the paw that he had used to shock his son, then at the top of his forehead.

The hat...he doesn't deserve to wear it. Sighing, he takes it off and tosses it on the floor.

Maybe it would be better if he really was just a Pikachu with amnesia. He should just allow himself to be...but no, he cuts that thought off immediately.

He has to get to Hide and convince him that he'd been turned into a Pikachu, that Mewtwo is _dangerous_ and had been the cause of his fake death. Well, maybe not _fake_ death since the doctor had said in the video that PCL themselves had to fake his death in a car wreck, but that Mewtwo was the cause of his _real_ death that caused PCL to have to fake his. Looking back on the voice that had been trying to talk to him through the door now, he's a little more than creeped out.

But the part that confuses him the most is why he would ever promise anything to a Pokémon he had to have known was _dangerous._

He doesn't care how hard Hide will try to push him away again, he _has_ to convince the lieutenant somehow, and this time he's not going to take no for an answer. He'll write, type, do _anything_ to get his attention that had failed the first time.

His ears perk up when the sound of the apartment door opening suddenly catches his attention.

"Tim! Are you okay? How many fingers am I holding up?" he immediately questions, momentarily forgetting that he has paws instead of hands that he raises towards Tim's face. He's not very successful, given how short he is.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Tim says, squinting for a moment at Pikachu's paws. "Twenty."

Harry gasps, eyes going wide, but Tim just shakes his head.

"No, really. I'm fine."

His headache is even starting to go away and his hands are less shaky, making it easy to hide that little detail from his father. He doesn't need him drowning in guilt when they have a more important matter to focus on.

Harry finally realizes that Tim is actually _here_ right in front of him.

"You...came back?" he asks, confused. He'd been so sure that Tim was going to leave, but he's here in the apartment again.

"Not for you," Tim says firmly.

Harry doesn't even feel the least bit disappointed. He knew it was too good to be true, but Tim hadn't left on the train to go home. He came _back,_ and they're going to finish this case _together!_

"There was this guy in the café saying his wife and three kids are missing. I don't know about you, but that sounds a lot like PCL—"

"I know," Harry cuts him off quickly. Tim stares, wide-eyed. "I saw a video in Howard Clifford's office. The doctor said there were other test subjects. That's why I had to go alone and leave you behind. If he finds out you're involved..."

"...I get it," Tim says, maybe a bit more quietly than he means to. He now understands why his father had tried so hard to keep him out of the case. "Wait, _Howard_ is the one involved in all this? The one who created the city?"

Harry only nods. "And Roger, too. I heard them both arguing about PCL in his office."

He can hardly believe it, himself...

The man had seemed so passionate about Pokémon in the video on the train, talking about the city's partnership with them and how important it is. He even went as far as making battles illegal and making it so no one can catch Pokémon in Poké Balls, which all had to be part of his plan the entire time. He'd been _planning_ this during Ryme City's creation.

Well, Tim hadn't been expecting _that._ No _wonder_ his father had been so eager to keep him out of the case. He now sees the danger of being on the wrong side of Ryme City's founder and his son Roger.

"So I'm not the only one who was changed into a Pokémon," Harry murmurs in disbelief, more to himself than Tim. The idea makes him sick that more innocent people have gone through the same thing he has, especially children if what Tim said about the man in the café is true. Though in a way, it's also kind of nice to know that he's not alone.

He instantly pushes that thought aside.

 _Children._ It makes Harry's blood boil as if he were a fire type Pokémon. What if the transformations were painful to go through, as Tim had asked him? He's pretty sure of what kind that he and the others endured; the doctor had said there were two types.

The neural link and non-neural link transformations: one just transferring the mind of a human into a Pokémon, the other changing a human's mind and body altogether. Dr. Laurent said that the second way is irreversible and he's obviously not wearing anything on his head, not even the hat that he'd tossed aside.

If PCL ever even attempted to try anything on his son, he'd probably Self-Destruct like an Electrode in order to protect him.

Good thing he's just a Pikachu.

"We can't let them get away with this," Tim snaps him out of his thinking. Harry is surprised to hear his son sound more like...a _detective._

"Howard has a lot of power. He can use that power any way he wants. The RCPD might have a little too much trust in him," Harry murmurs. Of course they would. Howard himself _owns_ the police. It wouldn't be hard for him or Roger to come up with an excuse about the people and Pokémon they _experiment_ on.

"We have to do something," Tim says, and Harry's eyes brighten with tears almost creeping to the corners. His son still wants to work with him even after what he'd done...

"I think Hide might be more willing to listen to you now that I'm awake to help you prove I'm _me."_

He can't help but be a bit amused just by thinking of how the lieutenant will react when he realizes that yes, Harry Goodman is alive and yes, the detective is indeed stuck in the body of a Pikachu.

"So whay do you say, kid?" he asks his son, just a little hesitant and bracing himself for the worst. He doesn't deserve Tim's help. Not after what he'd just done.

Tim stops for a moment, thinking it over. Does he still want to help his father who had nearly shocked him into oblivion? Except he doesn't really have to do this for his _father._ There are others who need help.

They have to find the Pancham cubs.

"No more lying. No more leaving. That goes for _both_ of us," Tim affirms.

Harry nods again in agreement.

No more hurting his son, even if he's been trying with the best intentions to protect him.

It's more than he could have ever asked for. Maybe Tim isn't doing it for _him,_ but his son still wants to help finish the case. It's not even technically lying if he doesn't tell Tim he's stuck as a Pikachu for good, that there's no use in trying to find a cure because there _isn't_ one. The only reason he doesn't tell Tim is because Dr. Laurent had been about to say something else, but the video had cut her off.

There has to be some hope left that he can return to normal, that they can find a cure for himself and the others who had been transformed, as well.

There _has_ to be.

In the meantime, they have to prove that Howard Clifford—the creator of Ryme City itself—is responsible for PCL and the experiments, transforming humans into Pokémon for some kind of his own personal gain.

"The hardest part of detective work is convincing everyone that the suspect is _more_ than a suspect, especially if that suspect is someone like Howard who has such a high status," Harry tells him, but Tim holds his ground.

"I think we have enough evidence, like the Pangoro... _human_ in the cage. We just have to prove you'e _you,_ first."

Now that he knows the truth, it disturbs him to no end that innocent _humans_ are being kept in cages as Pokémon.

But then another thought occurs to him, and he watches Pikachu closely.

"What if you..." Tim trails off. He doesn't like to think about it, but there's still a big possibility that it could happen. Tim can only hope that they convince Yoshida before it _does._

Harry just promised that he'd stop lying, and so he _doesn't._ He can't lie or try to wiggle his way out of this one, because Tim _knows_ something is wrong already. He can't try to hide how bad it really is. If the man's wife who had been turned into a Pangoro had faded away into the mind of a Pokémon already, he can't be far behind.

"Tim...I don't know how much longer I have. If I use any more electricity, that's only going to speed up the process—"

His son instantly stops him. They can't afford to think like that. Not when the case is almost over.

"You won't have to."

Tim sounds so _sure,_ and Harry wishes he could feel the same. If his son's life ends up on the line, he'll do what it takes to protect him, even if that means losing his mind and who he is as the video said.

Harry stays quiet as Tim kneels down, eyes widening when he picks the hat up that was tossed aside. Bending down to his father's level, he places the hat back onto his head where it belongs.

"I think I have a plan, Pikachu," his son says eagerly, excited to put that plan to action. Harry doesn't even mind being called Pikachu once again. It's second nature for Tim at this point; he's technically been around his father more as a Pikachu than as a human.

But no words can describe how proud he is of his son that he still wants to solve this case, even after everything he's been put through because of his own father. He still doesn't deserve that title, and so Pikachu is enough for him. He's going to cherish every moment that he has left, even if he has to spend the rest of his time with Tim as a Pokémon.

He just has to hold on a little longer. Looking directly up at Tim, a new flare of determination streaks through him.

"We're gonna do this. You and me."

[](https://www.hitwebcounter.com)  
  



	13. Chapter 13

Lucy is more than willing to let them borrow her car once more, although they don't exactly have to again for a second time. Since her cold is gone, she wants to come along for the ride back to PCL where the RCPD currently is.

Psyduck too, of course.

Pikachu had advised against Lucy coming. After all, then _she'd_ be involved like Tim as well and be in danger herself. But Tim insisted that she come with them; being a reporter, she'd need to be in on everything if they wanted to get Howard and Roger in the spotlight where they couldn't evade the police. Pikachu gives him a knowing grin for other reasons while she drives them back to the lab, but Tim does his best to ignore the mouse assuming things he doesn't _need_ to assume. The calming elevator music in the car prevents Psyduck from becoming _too_ stressed as he sits in his baby seat with Pikachu watching him warily for any signs of exploding.

Tim waits to tell her the truth about his father. He doesn't want his plan to be messed up if she can't help herself and spills the beans beforehand. But once the truth is revealed, she'll be the first to report on the story of Harry Goodman and what had happened to him and the others in the lab.

"Tim, there's something else you should know," Harry says quietly as they make their way back into PCL. Much to their surprise, the hole that they'd made in the fence had been fixed from the last time they were here and Lucy eagerly puts her pliers to use again, Tim watching with wide and concerned eyes while Pikachu continues to grin.

Psyduck is sitting comfortably in her backpack so he won't be easily left behind.

Tim glances down at his father. He's glad that Pikachu is more willing to let him in on the truth now, and that they're both putting a little more of their trust in each other. Tim would call it good progress between them.

"In the video, the doctor also said that I was hired to track down a dangerous Pokémon called Mewtwo," Harry explains, and Tim has to admit to himself he wasn't expecting _that,_ either.

"You mean that's what's behind the door? A Pokémon?" he asks, and Harry nods quickly in response.

"The doctor said it's a psychic type," he adds. He still can't believe he'd _been_ there under Howard's orders, and that he'd managed to find a specific Pokémon he wanted. Tim may have been sure that he would never take part in something like that, but the video was proof. It was like a crazy out of body experience, which is technically true given his situation and the body he's currently in _now._

"So you really _did_ hear a voice," Tim murmurs, the word 'psychic' catching his attention. It's nice to know his father isn't as crazy as he thinks, and where those strange images between the two of them might have come from.

"Its name is Mewtwo. The doctor also described it as the most powerful Pokémon known to mankind."

Of _course_ PCL would want to track down a powerful Pokémon like Mewtwo.

"Powerful enough to destroy an entire lab. It was probably trying to escape, but couldn't because of the experiments it's being put through," Tim says, deep in thought. It makes a lot of sense. The lab sending his dad to track down a powerful Pokémon, then that same exact lab nearly exploding in an accident? The puzzle pieces are starting to come together...

Glancing back up as they come closer to said lab itself, he notices something...off. It's just as empty as the first time they came here, if not _more._

"Why aren't the police here?"

The question _needs_ to be asked, but Harry already took notice of the missing police long before his son, frowning at the emptiness. No police cars in sight.

"They should be since we called them, unless Howard or Roger somehow managed to convince them everything is fine and under control."

Tim shakes his head. "I doubt that _anything_ is under control. Look what happened the first time."

They make it inside through the same broken enclosure-entrance they used the first time since the outside is just as much of a wreck as it was before. Harry isn't sure why, but he suddenly has the feeling of being watched.

He lowers his voice to a whisper, even though anyone watching through a camera would be unlikely to understand him. He advises Tim to do the same and his son lets Lucy up ahead know, as well.

"I'm gonna go take some videos," she says, and Tim nods. He'd taken a picture with his phone of Pangoro, but the image must not have gotten through like he thought. Or maybe Howard and Roger had come up with an excuse about that, too.

The first thing Tim wants to do is check on the Pokémon, whether they're actually _Pokémon_ or not. The Torterra in the mini garden are all gone including the Greninja that he and Pikachu won the battle against, leaving behind nothing but a ghost town in the hallway. It's just the two of them while Lucy and Psyduck are off exploring in another part of the lab.

"Pangoro is gone, too," Tim says as they approach the room with the empty cage that once held the huge Pokémon, his stomach sinking now that he knows what...or _who_ the fighting type really is.

He hopes nothing _bad_ happened to her because of them. He also hopes she's back with her cubs, but given the nature of PCL, that probably isn't likely.

"They probably told Hide that absolutely no experiments are happening here and came up with another excuse," Harry murmurs as he stares at the empty cage, feeling sick as he imagines where she could have been taken. It's much different from the last time they were here now that he knows the Pangoro is really a human like he is.

"That's why they moved the cubs," Tim says as realization strikes him. "Why they were moving Pokémon out of the lab."

Now they have to be on the lookout for both mother _and_ cubs.

"In case someone found out," Harry agrees.

Which someone did. The two of _them._

Then why didn't PCL add tighter security? More guards?

"Looks like some of their power is working again," Tim says as they enter another room that's all too familiar. A room that was formerly a mess with a boken containment chamber in the center now _not_ so broken. The lights are even on and liquid is in the chamber itself, ready for another occupant—or the _same_ occupant it had housed before the accident happened.

If that's the case, they shouldn't stay any longer than they have to and risk being caught.

No more glass is on the floor much to Harry's relief, so no need to sit on Tim's shoulders. Harry can't help but feel a quick pang of disappointment, though. It had been nice while it lasted, but he understands why Tim doesn't want to let him do it. There's a more important matter they both have to focus on. He doesn't even allow himself to linger on the fact that he'd shocked his own son. He also has to _concentrate_ on not losing himself any more than he has already, fighting every second to regain control of his mind being pulled into the center of the black hole.

Tim tapping on the glass brings him back to the present.

Where's Mewtwo if the containment chamber is fixed? Still behind the other door?

"I see you've found the main part of our lab," a voice echoes from behind them.

Tim and Harry both spin around at the same time.

_Roger?_

Tim knows that he shouldn't be too surprised. Pikachu had told him what he'd discovered in Howard's office, that both father and son are in on the awful experiments together. The white lab coat Roger is wearing _proves_ that.

Harry moves in front of his son in case the man tries anything. Tim can only hope it won't come down to what he fears will happen.

"...It was pretty easy to get in," Tim decides to respond. Roger stands by the door, seemingly unfazed by that fact. It's probably what PCL _wants_ so things don't look too shady on their end. Does he know where Lucy is in the lab, too? He better not do anything to hurt her—

"It's a bit of an open house for those who know about it, or care to look into things all the way out here," Roger says smoothly in response, confirming Tim's suspicion. He doesn't seem worried in the slightest, keeping his stance relaxed. "One of my trusted colleagues is taking that girl on a tour right now."

Tim does his best to keep a neutral expression and decides to take his chances, running with the opportunity that Roger just gave him. "What happened to the Pangoro?"

Roger gives him a friendly smile, but Tim doesn't buy it.

"So you're the one that was here before. We would have been tracking your every move had our security systems not gone down, but most of it is up and running again, thankfully."

Their systems went down just as Pikachu had thought.

"The Pangoro has been moved to a safer location while we renovate the destroyed parts of the lab such as this one," Roger continues.

Once again, Tim doesn't buy it. PCL couldn't care less about the well-being of their 'Pokémon.' They just don't want to get _caught_ like he and Harry assumed—which they already _should_ be—but had somehow avoided it and Roger is definitely not going to tell him _how._

Tim can't wait to see how Roger reacts to his next question. It's no use asking about how the accident happened, as he already has a pretty good idea regarding Mewtwo. Roger probably won't be willing to answer _that_ question, anyway.

"What about the Pancham cubs?"

He isn't disappointed.

Roger's eyes narrow, and he speaks first without thinking of the consequences. "How do you know about them?"

 _Caught you red-handed,_ Tim thinks victoriously. He knew about Pangoro because she'd been in the cage, but her cubs were and _are_ still missing. _No one_ outside of PCL should know about the cubs, but he has his own personal inside source—that source being a talking Pikachu only he can understand. If only Yoshida was here so his plan would be more successful, so the lieutenant would finally _understand_ that Harry had been turned into a Pikachu.

"So you do know something," he says, and Roger's narrowed eyes widen just the slightest.

"If you don't mind me asking, how is your father, Harry Goodman? He always talked about you whenever he got the chance," Roger says to change the subject. "You were on his mind every day, Tim. Even had a picture or two to show us of a much younger you."

 _If that's how you want to play,_ Tim thinks. The man is only further confirming he's involved in something that _shouldn't_ be happening. But he won't lie, he's a bit more than creeped out that Roger _knows his name_ because of his father talking about him like any loving dad would about their kid. Even though Roger had been shown a younger version of himself in a picture, why else would an older person of striking resemblance travel all the way to a lab his father had been involved in?

Harry inwardly cringes to himself so Roger doesn't see. He may not remember much of his time here in the lab when he was still human, but he can certainly imagine himself talking about his son to other people. The vision-flashbacks from Mewtwo between himself and Tim proved that.

Tim is not about to tell Roger that his father is here in the room with them right now, but Howard's son has other ideas. His eyes finally land on Pikachu standing in front of Tim, taking notice of the detective hat on his head. Tim mentally curses to himself. They should have taken it off in case someone recognized him. Without the hat, he's just another Pikachu in the eyes of anyone else.

"So you can understand each other...very interesting. We were not able to understand our other test subjects that underwent the non-neural link transformations," Roger says, catching on to the only way Tim could know about the cubs.

 _Probably because you're not related to any of them,_ Harry thinks sharply, anger continuing to build up inside him. He wonders if the man from the café would be able to understand his wife if they were brought back together, even if they're not necessarily related. Maybe it's a special connection kind of thing like he thinks he has with his son, regardless if they're related or not? It could be used as another form of proof, but Harry reminds himself that the woman has already forgotten who she is. It creeps him out even further that Roger is suggesting Howard has already tried changing into a Pokémon via the neural-link method, most likely.

"I didn't know my father had also decided to experiment on _the_ Harry Goodman. He always spoke quite highly of him. Even called the man one of Ryme City's best detectives."

It's true, and something that Harry hadn't really thought of. If he had been on such good terms with Howard as a human, why would the founder of Ryme City change him into a Pokémon? Just so he would be forced to stay quiet once he was closer to discovering the truth? And if Harry's not mistaken, he finds a bit of _jealousy_ in Roger's voice that Howard thinks more highly of a detective than his own son.

"It always made me sick that he would allow a _detective_ such as Harry Goodman to visit this lab when he knew the risks of police becoming involved. And all because your father was able to find and enable us to capture the most powerful Pokémon known to mankind."

He just used the exact same words as Dr. Laurent. Speaking of the doctor...where is _she?_

Another thought flashes across Harry's mind. How could he _not_ know that Howard _did_ experiment on him?

"I don't know what you're talking about," Tim attempts to sound just the slightest bit serious, but he's far from successful.

 _Play_ _dumb, play dumb,_ he tells himself sternly. It's very _difficult_ when it seems that Roger already knows the truth. If Pikachu was still human and could talk with other people like normal, he'd probably handle the situation a million times better. Usually when someone says they don't know something, they usually _do._ He's not _meant_ to be a detective like his father.

"My dad is just fine. I saw him yesterday."

Not a complete lie.

"Are you sure?" Roger prods. "I thought I saw in the paper that he passed in a horrible car accident."

Tim quickly glances down at his father, then back up at Roger and realizing his mistake just seconds later.

He just gave himself away. He'll _never_ become a detective at this point, and Tim wonders to himself why he even thought of becoming one in the first place, especially during a time like this.

"This is my partner," he says quickly and genuinely as he can.

Too late. He can't save himself even if he tires, especially with the way Pikachu looks back at him with a surprised expression that his son had just called him his _partner._

"Interesting," Roger says again like it's one of his favorite words. "Harry never had a partner, but his son does?"

Harry blinks once, twice. Roger just answered the question that's been burning in the back of his mind. What happened to his partner...what _kind_ of Pokémon did he have? But now he knows. He really _was_ one of those dramatic 'I-work-alone' types as he'd suggested to Tim, and his son stares down at him sympathetically.

 _Everyone_ has a partner in Ryme City, but not his father. Why?

"The car wreck wasn't an accident," Tim counters.

 _Just shut up. You're making things worse,_ his inner voice screams.

"Why don't I show you an example of our experiments on overtaking a Pokémon's will?" Roger's voice snaps them both back to the present and the impossible unfolding before their eyes.

Reaching for his coat pocket, Roger pulls out a vial that seems a lot like the one Harry found in the apartment...only this one is _full_ of some kind of purple substance that Tim recognizes all too well.

Harry's confidence slowly wavers, creeping behind his son instead as a safety precaution. He doesn't know why; R hadn't affected him when he'd tested it on himself.

"He's not really a Pokémon. It won't affect him," Tim says as if he read his thoughts, determined as he remembers Pikachu testing nothing but a drop of R on himself back at the apartment. As Pikachu had told him, whatever was left of the R hadn't affected him because he's really _human._

"No," Roger agrees through a casual tone. "We also discovered the same with the others. But once they lose their minds, who they are..."

"He hasn't yet," Tim shoots back firmly. "He's not going to. He still _remembers_ who he is."

"I wouldn't be so sure," Roger responds calmly, staring down at Pikachu with a cold and emotionless expression.

Tim glances behind him and down at the yellow mouse now struggling to regain control of himself, his body shaking.

"Pikachu?"

No matter how hard he tries, Harry can't respond.

This is what he'd been afraid of. He can feel himself slipping away the longer he's stuck as a Pikachu, but using his powers is what makes the situation worse. He hasn't used any electricity _yet_ like he feared he would have to, but his awareness is starting to take the back seat.

He can't seem to think clearly enough to command himself to speak, and it's harder than it should be to control his body the way he wants, the way it should work naturally. Holding his head with both paws, Harry manages to remain aware enough to realize that what he feared would happen _is_ happening, and it will only get worse if he uses any amount of electricity at this point.

Tim looks back at Roger and the man smirks, reaching a hand up to pull the top off of the vial.

Harry can only stare at Tim with wide eyes. He's never felt this _terrified_ in all his life, but not for himself. If he had shocked his son with his own free will the way he had, how much worse and powerful will his powers be under the influence of R? And once it wears off, he's likely going to forget who he is. It hadn't affected him before and it shouldn't affect him now, but he's losing himself faster than he thought and soon he'll just be a regular Pikachu like Roger wants so the gas _will_ work on him.

"Come on, Pikachu, fight it," Tim encourages him, Roger's plan finally sinking in. If his father turns into a regular Pikachu now, the gas will affect him just like any other Pokémon. Pikachu had warned him this might happen, but it's still unexpected that it would happen so _soon_ and when he hadn't used any electricity to speed up the process like his father said. Then again, if the Pangoro had lost herself already...

Purple slowly surrounds Harry's vision as Roger releases the substance. He tries, he really _tries_ to fight it for his son's sake.

 _Don't breathe the gas, don't breathe the gas, don't breathe the gas._ Harry wills himself not to let any polluted air into his mouth or nose, but he's never been very good at holding his breath for such a long time.

It's more difficult than he thinks with the substance everywhere around him. Roger doesn't seem affected in any way, most likely having been exposed to the gas many times before. Tim gets out violent coughs, having only been exposed once when he found the vial on the top of his desk.

Roger is out of the room before either of them realize it, and the large metal door shuts behind him.

Harry can't help it. He can't hold his breath any longer, sucking in a bigger gulp of air than he means to and struggling just _to_ breathe soon after, gagging unpleasantly.

Panicked brown eyes flash purple, and it's then that realization hits Tim full-force that he should listen to the single word Pikachu manages to get out before he fully loses himself to the gas.

_"Run!"_

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's very strange picturing movie-Roger yet writing game-Roger's character, instead.


	14. Chapter 14

Tim soon realizes that there aren't a lot of places he can run in a room where Roger had shut a huge, metal door.

Pikachu is growling, actually _growling_ with his teeth bared, and he never thought he'd actually be _afraid_ of the small and yellow Pokémon. He can't exactly stop the fear as he remembers the crazy Aipom and how powerful the Charizard had been when hyped up on R. But with Pikachu, it's somehow ten times _worse_ because behind the glowing purple eyes, Tim knows it's actually his _father_ who can't control his own actions due to the drug. The detective hat still on his head doesn't entirely help the situation or make Pikachu any less frightening.

"It's me!" he shouts, but Pikachu ignores him, still stepping forward. "Your son!" he shouts once again, finding it extremely ironic that _he's_ the one now attempting to convince Pikachu that he really _is_ his son.

Pikachu creeps ever closer as if in slow motion, waiting for the right time to pounce all while still growling and both cheeks sparking at the same time.

He never thought he'd ever be afraid of a _Pikachu._

Tim only just manages to leap out of the way when a jolt of electricity is shot right in his direction without warning. If getting a shock on his hand had felt as painful as it did, he doesn't want to find out how much stronger the mouse's powers will be under the influence of R.

He moves as fast as he can, dodging behind a corner of the containment chamber when another lightning strike is zapped at him again. He doesn't know how much longer he can keep up running and dodging, but it's the only thing he can do in such a small room. At least until Pikachu decides to use a more stronger move like Thunderbolt. But in the crazed state of the R, the affected Pokémon probably isn't thinking very clearly.

The floor suddenly feels light under his feet for some reason as he dodges a third bolt of lightning. Confused, Tim glances down to see that this particular tile is a bit of a darker shade of white than the rest of the floor, but that's not entirely part of his concern.

The floor is wobbling beneath his feet...? He might be imagining things because of his racing mind and heart, but the blue streak that whips between his feet seems real enough to him even amid his panic that Pikachu is coming closer and closer until he's close enough not to miss his target this time.

Close enough that when the odd tile opens wide, revealing a dark space underneath, they both fall directly inside.

He screams, and soon the world is enveloped in darkness.

xxxx

Groaning from the harsh fall, Tim lifts himself up into a sitting position.

After enough fumbling, he finally manages to get his phone out of his pocket and turn on flashlight mode. Turning it straight up at the ceiling, he's dismayed to find that the trap door is shut, and it was probably closed by Roger.

A trap door. The weird tile among all the rest had been a trap door and he'd fallen into another, lower part of the lab.

His second instinct is to immediately try and call Yoshida again, but luck just doesn't want to be on his side.

No service down here. Of course.

A trap door had been right underneath their feet and he hadn't even _noticed_ it. He couldn't have counted on Pikachu to notice anything strange, not while he was too focused on figuring out _how_ he was turned into a Pikachu, on what Roger had been saying to the both of them. Still...he _should_ have noticed, especially if he wants to try being a detective like his father.

Which he _doesn't._

 _Do you think he had something to do with faking your death?_ Tim can recall himself asking Pikachu at the CNM studio while they'd watched Howard and Roger argue.

Tim can't blame Pikachu for not considering the fact that Roger might be involved in his case or even _Howard,_ for that matter. They're lucky that neither Howard or Roger had noticed Pikachu in the studio back then. If Roger had recognized Harry so quickly now, who knows what might have happened?

It brings him back to when Roger commented that he didn't know his father, _Howard,_ had experimented on Harry to turn him into a Pikachu. They must have just as much of a strained relationship as he does with his own father if they aren't the best at communicating what's going on in the lab.

"Lucy?" he calls quietly, but just loud enough for her to hear in case she's close by.

No answer.

"Lucy?" he tries again, but still no response. She must still be in the above part of the lab with Roger and the 'trusted colleague' the man had been talking about. Tim hopes she'll be alright, but he has a pretty good feeling that she can handle whatever might be thrown her way. He realizes that it might have been a good idea to tell her the truth about Harry, but then again...plausible deniability about not knowing of the experiments might be a better idea. He'd gone and revealed to Roger that he knows about the turning-humans-into-Pokémon experiments.

He really _isn't_ supposed to be a detective. Insurance is what he's best at.

Tim wonders if Roger knows about the trap door. Had he been watching Pikachu attack him through a camera or something, just waiting for the mouse to do the dirty work for him if he _hadn't_ fallen in here? It's most likely that Roger _does_ know. Why wouldn't he know about the trap door in the main part of the lab? Maybe Roger is thinking that Pikachu will just finish it down here, instead. That way, no one will be able to find his...he shudders at the thought.

Shuffling close by puts him on edge. Flashing the light of his phone next to him, Pikachu comes into view and he backs away, readying himself to run again.

He doesn't have to.

Purple eyes fade back to their normal brown color in his phone's glow but even then, they seem more duller than usual. After getting to know his father a little bit the way he had, Tim's heart sinks at the thought that he's not his usual self.

"Pikachu?" Tim whispers, realization dawning on him. The R just wore off, and he forgot that the drug has somewhat of a time limit.

The electric mouse nearly collapses, but Tim manages to catch him before he can hit the cold and hard floor.

He tilts his head to the side in a questioning motion towards Tim.

"Pika?"

Tim feels himself go cold. _No...no, no..._ he can't understand his father anymore. His father turned into a regular Pikachu with no memory of who he really is. He'd suspected that Harry might lose his memory, but also losing their ability to understand each other? He hadn't really been expecting that.

"We have to find a way out," he whispers, even though Pikachu can't understand _him_ anymore, either.

He gets up, checking his phone's battery. Fifty percent should be enough until they get out of here.

 _If_ they get out and if Pikachu is willing to charge his phone again, which he doubts is unlikely given his current state; there has to be a cure, there just _has_ to.

They have to _find_ it, force Howard and Roger to reverse the transformations if it's even possible. While Pikachu might have been more willing to let him in on the truth, Tim has a bad feeling that he hadn't told him _everything_ regarding what he'd learned about being transformed into a Pokémon and its side effects. He can't really blame him; the idea of staying as a Pokémon is far too terrible to contemplate.

The bottom part of the lab is like a huge, empty warehouse that reminds Tim of the one they'd interrogated Mr. Mime in. Nothing much is here except maybe a few pieces of machinery that Tim has no idea what they're used for, and he's not really sure he wants to find out.

Off to the side is a cage. Not like the one that Pangoro had been trapped in, but an open and transportable kind that's wrapped around in a circle. Another electronic, informational stand is in front of it.

 _Successful Transformation Group Number One,_ it reads through a glow as bright as his phone. A chill goes down Tim's spine when he realizes what that means. All of that other information up in the lab hallway, the 'Growth Enhancement' and 'Emotional State Effects' had all been tests until they found one that worked to transform humans into Pokémon. They'd been looking for clues about the experiments when the clues had been _right in front of them..._

Sounds can be heard from inside the cage, and Tim lifts his phone to shine the light in the center.

"Pan?" a tiny, fearful voice squeaks suddenly, and Tim's eyes widen.

"Pancham!" another voice squeaks.

"Pan pan," a third voice says, more in a warning growl as Tim comes closer.

"We found them," Tim whispers, relieved. Even if it was completely by accident, the cubs have still been found. Not exactly safe, but found nonetheless. And according to the information, the first successful group—likely including their mother—of humans to be transformed into Pokémon. But wouldn't his father also fall into group number one? He doesn't see another enclosure that would be perfect for a human-turned-Pikachu. Just how had Harry managed to escape the lab as a Pikachu, anyway? If only he didn't have partial amnesia when they could still understand each other. And if the Pancham cubs are here, then where's the dangerous psychic Pokémon named Mewtwo? Could this be where the other door actually leads to, and he'd just found another way in through the trap door? He's not exactly eager to try and track down a dangerous Pokémon, anyway, either. If there's one thing PCL is right about, it's keeping Mewtwo contained where he can't hurt anyone in the city.

Pikachu doesn't respond to his comment about the found Pancham cubs.

He _can't._

He's not the same Pikachu anymore—he's not his _father._

"Hey there," he says calmly so as not to spook them any more than they already are. Slowly, he lifts himself over the cage until he's planted firmly on the other side, bending down to lift Pikachu over as well.

The three cubs scoot backwards against the circular cage away from him, huddling close to each other.

"It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you," Tim attempts to reassure them. They continue staring warily in his direction.

"I just want to help," he says, remaining in place so they can see he doesn't mean any harm.

He can't tell if they remember who they are or not, but with Pikachu, it's perfectly clear. Glancing around the cage, Pangoro is nowhere to be seen like he expected. The only thing of any note is a bowl of food and water and a large blanket to sleep on. Not even any toys to keep them entertained, at least.

"Do you miss your mom?" he tries to ask, just to be sure.

Two nod at the same time, causing Tim's heart to jump. The smallest one looks at him with wide and confused eyes, tilting its head to the side, but it still doesn't seem like it's acting how a normal Pancham cub would...it's acting like a human _child._ Anger burns through Tim at the thought of the poor kids being forced to turn into something they're not, just like his father had been.

"...I miss my mom, too," Tim whispers. He still misses her every day.

The smallest Pancham whimpers. Tim decides that the best course of action is to simply sit down on the blanket and let them come to him if they want which surprisingly, one does.

It's the smallest Pancham again that inches forward slowly, dark eyes still not fully trusting but not as fearful.

"Hot chocolate sounds really good right now, doesn't it?" Tim asks, remembering what their father in the café had said.

The smallest Pancham nods eagerly at the mention of its favorite drink, deciding to unexpectedly make itself comfortable in Tim's lap. It freaks him out a little to see so much intelligence and child-like innocence in their eyes. How could PCL ever want to bring harm to them and treat them like this?

"...So does coffee," Tim murmurs, just to see if Pikachu next to him reacts.

He doesn't. He really is just a Pikachu, now. It makes him wonder that if the cubs have been _cubs_ for the same amount of time as Pikachu and Pangoro, then why haven't they lost their memory, too? Are kids affected differently when they're transformed?

"Don't worry," Tim says quietly. The smallest Pancham snuggles up tightly against him for comfort, and he finds he doesn't really mind. "We'll get you and your mom back to normal and back to your dad. He's really worried."

Just as worried as he is about his _own_ father. But is he really _worried,_ or is it something else? Worried might be a big part it it, but...

Tim suddenly realizes that for the first time in over ten years...he might actually _miss_ his father. He should have just forgiven him when he had the chance like the man in the café said.

"My dad was turned into a Pokémon, too," he says. "He's right here."

Here...yet not here at the same time. One of the Pancham cubs sniffs at Pikachu, curious.

"We're going to get out of here," Tim states firmly, more to himself than any of the 'Pokémon' around him.

If only Roger had been more like the average cartoon villain that revealed his entire plan before acting it out, but Tim figures that he is of course smarter than that.

...But maybe he and Howard already _have..._

His mind traces back to the CNM studio and what they'd heard during Howard and Roger's argument.

_Roger, please. This is supposed to be our gift to the citizens._

The parade! Howard and Roger are planning to release the R gas at the parade! They want to turn _everyone_ into Pokémon...but why? What's the point in that? So humanity will be even more powerful than it already is?

Another terrifying thought strikes him.

...What if they find out that he's still alive down here and decide to turn _him_ into a Pokémon, too? How do they decide what kind of Pokémon someone will be, anyway? It really _was_ pure coincidence that his father been turned into a Pikachu, of all Pokémon. Or was it...? Harry had supposedly talked a lot about his son and he'd probably mentioned at some point that Pikachu was his favorite Pokémon, so that's what they decided to turn his father into.

Key word: _Was._

Tim sighs. He shouldn't really be causing himself any more stress than he's already in. The Pancham curled up in his lap helps him to relax, if only a little. The other two stay close enough in case he decides to try anything on their sibling, but understandably far enough from him so they aren't too close. Have they been stuck here in the darkness the entire time he and Pikachu were working on the case? It doesn't help Tim's stress to think about something as horrible as that.

So he does his best _not_ to think, the cage providing just enough support for him to lean back against it.

 _A good detective needs his rest,_ Pikachu's advice echoes.

He figures he should take that advice whether he considers himself a detective or not.

He should really stay awake and keep watch in case anyone comes down here, but he also needs his energy if he wants to escape. Roger most likely knows he's down here already, so there's really no point in keeping watch, anyway. He just has to bide his time until someone possibly leads him out of here and he can come up with an escape plan, then.

He aslo needs to save his phone's battery in case they're down here longer than expected.

"Pan!" the small cub squeals in surprise when darkness envelopes them again. Its two other siblings immediately nudge up against Tim, forgetting their wariness of him. Despite himself, he smiles.

If the three cubs weren't really human (and _children,_ no less) he maybe wouldn't mind having a Pancham for a partner. Wait...where had _that_ come from? He's never had a partner. He doesn't _need_ or _want_ a partner. Based on what Roger said, his own _father_ never even had a partner. _Like father like son,_ Tim supposes. He's not sure if that's a good thing. He's sure Harry had his own reasons for not having a partner just like he has his.

But still...

Even with the three Pancham cubs and a normal Pikachu, he's never felt more alone than he does right now.

"Pika pi," Pikachu chirps cheerfully despite the situation, inching closer until he curls up into a ball right next to him.

Sighing again, Tim reaches down blindly until he rests a hand gently on Pikachu's back since the Pancham had decided to take up residence in his lap. Even as a regular Pikachu, his father still wants to stay close. Tim wonders if he can remember he was really human, if he remembers who his son is on a subconscious kind of level.

"We're going to get out of here, Pikachu," he tells himself firmly again. "You'll turn back into a human again. I..." he stops himself before he can go any further.

If that's even a _possibility._ He's not sure if it's a good idea to promise anything like that. They failed. They failed to convince Lieutenant Yoshida and the police that Harry and the others have been turned into Pokémon. How are they going to do that now?

He still can't bring himself to call Pikachu by that simple, three-lettered name to see how he would react to _that._

The name he _should_ be calling Pikachu.

What's the point if he can't even remember? It's too late. His chance had slipped by him, just as the man had warned it could.

He just can't say it.

At least not out loud.

_I'm sorry, Dad..._

[](https://www.hitwebcounter.com)  
  



	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another short chapter, but equally important. It has a few callbacks, so you may want to go back and look through chapter 7 and 10 for some clues...
> 
> I hope everyone had a great holiday!

He's no longer stuck in the dark, but back in the main lab. The only difference is that the containment chamber now has an occupant—the same purple and white occupant with a long tail that Tim can remember from his previous flashback. The Pokémon that's supposedly behind the door Harry had heard the voice from. 

Harry himself is standing in the middle of the lab, surprisingly in his human body again.

"Dad," Tim wants to shout, but it only releases in a whisper he can hardly hear himself. He tries to move closer, but his feet remain stuck in place. His father doesn't even notice him.

"This is not what I signed up for," Harry practically growls at the doctor standing before him. Her stance remains relaxed and calm.

"As a matter of fact, it isn't. You've already done your part by tracking down the most powerful Pokémon known to mankind. We are no longer in need of any assistance."

"This is cruel. Inhumane and you know it," Harry remains firm in his resolve, glancing sympathetically at the psychic Pokémon stuck inside the liquid-filled chamber. "For him _and_ the others. I could have this place shut down."

Dr. Laurent does not share his sympathy, nodding towards another scientist to go through with the experiment again. Mewtwo screeches, face contorting in pain as they extract his cells to convert them into R through clear tubes flowing purple from the chamber.

"Detective Goodman, I shouldn't have to remind you that we have...methods to ensure your cooperation and trust that you won't...rat us out," Dr. Laurent says coldly.

Harry immediately gets the implication, his hands curling into fists. But he doesn't dare put them to use, or else what little family he has left will be in danger. Dr. Laurent allows a slight smirk, turning to face the scientist once more.

"Again," she orders, and the psychic screeches for a second time (probably _countless_ times by now)

If only he hadn't been so _blind..._ he's a _detective,_ he was supposed to have figured out PCL's true intentions long ago, but he _hadn't_ and now Mewtwo is here and being tortured because of _him._ Countless other lives destroyed because of the part he'd played in tracking down Mewtwo for Howard Clifford...

Harry cringes at the pain the Pokémon is being put through, his guilt nearly becoming too much.

Tim blinks upon hearing his father's voice inside of his head. He's hearing Harry's voice as if his father's thoughts are his own...

 _I'm sorry,_ Harry thinks, knowing all too well that the psychic can hear his thoughts. _I didn't know_ _this is what they were going to do...I didn't mean for this to happen..._

_Now is the time._

_What?_ Harry thinks again, and Tim can feel his father's confusion. _This isn't part of the plan._

"Or maybe it would be best that you...extend your stay," Dr. Laurent's voice barely reaches Harry's ears. He glances in her direction, and a knowing smile stretches across her face. "There are other ways to ensure your cooperation and silence."

Two other scientists approach Harry. His mind kicks into overdrive as realization instantly dawns on him what they want to do. What they've _already_ done to other innocent people...and now _him_ to get him to keep quiet. It's the perfect plan on their end, but he and Mewtwo also have a plan...or he _thought_ they did.

Bright, glowing eyes snap open.

 _What are you doing?!_ Harry shouts inside his mind towards the psychic that's now awake and alert, the scientists backing away nervously. Harry would be nervous too if he didn't know Mewtwo's true nature, but he _does._ Mewtwo, however, is past his breaking point.

 _You're not healed enough yet...it's too soon,_ Harry tries to plead, but Mewtwo only ignores him.

 _The plan has changed,_ Mewtwo's voice rings in Tim's head. The Pokémon stretches a hand towards his father. _And so will you...but not by **them.**_

Harry bends over suddenly, crying out in some kind of pain of his own. Tim tries to run forward but he can't, still unable to move no matter how hard he tries. Mewtwo is _hurting_ him...the psychic really _is_ dangerous! It wants revenge on his father for bringing it to the lab and being experimented on!

The lab starts to shake. Dr. Laurent's eyes widen and she races up to Mewtwo, reaching an arm out towards the psychic, but the powerful Pokémon has other ideas, using what little remains of his energy.

"No! We're losing power in the containment—"

She doesn't have the chance to finish, a bright and blinding white light enveloping the lab.

Tim jolts awake, instantly bringing a hand to his forehead to try and calm the building pressure. It's happening _again,_ but he just has to stay calm.

_Stay calm, stay calm, stay calm..._

He's not sure how he knew that staying calm would work, but the intense pressure slowly begins to subside. Looking around, he finds himself back in the darkness.

The dream had seemed so _real,_ like he was there...

"Chu?"

Tim glances down at Pikachu. The Pancham cub in his lap as well as the other two are all still sound asleep, but Pikachu had been disturbed by his sudden awakening. Or is it something more...?

"Did you have the same dream?" Tim asks, curiosity getting the better of him.

A small nod, and a chill sweeps through Tim. Harry may not remember who he is anymore, but the same thing happened _again:_ they'd both received the same dream of the lab and that psychic Pokémon, Mewtwo...

Tim shifts slightly in his sitting position, making sure not to wake the three cubs. It somewhat scares him that the dangerous psychic is possibly trying to communicate with him.

With _them._

Maybe it hadn't been a dream at all.

[](https://www.hitwebcounter.com)   
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd love to see if any of you detectives out there can piece Tim's "dream" together and what really happened...see you in 2020 ;)


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy new year! :)

His eyes are beginning to adjust to the darkness, but Tim doesn't really consider that a good thing if it means he's been down here a long time. He hasn't been able to fall back asleep since being woken up by the strange dream, if that's what it even _was,_ but Tim has a feeling that there's something bigger going on. If Mewtwo is dangerous, why did it seem like his father had been conversing with it, planning with it? He'd reassured Harry that he wouldn't have been a part of something like that. He really hopes he isn't wrong.

The Pancham cub in his lap begins to stir, sensing his distress until it's brought into full awareness. The other two pressed against either side of him follow along, eyes blinking tiredly and yawning.

Sitting quietly in the dark almost reminds him of doing insurance work in his little cubicle all day. At least at his job, he was always busy. Here, it's just... _boring._ He can't imagine how it must be for these cubs day after day. There's not really anything he can do besides sleep, but he's already gotten most of his energy back from that nap. He had a good rest just as Harry had advised him.

In his boredom, his mind wanders back to being transformed into a Pokémon. His father couldn't remember how it had happened, but maybe the cubs do since they still seem to have their human memories?

So he decides to _ask_ them.

"Can you remember how you were turned into Pokémon?" he questions softly, wishing he could talk about it with them _more_ in a way that's not so one-sided.

Three head nods at the same time.

Interesting. So the kids can remember how they were transformed, but not his father. Maybe they really _are_ affected differently. He's reminded of another question that he had once asked Pikachu and he's almost afraid to know, but _needs_ to so his mind will be put at ease.

"Did it hurt?"

Three head shakes at the same time.

Thank Arceus.

Tim sighs in relief. At least PCL had the decency to come up with a painless transformation. If it didn't hurt the cubs, then it most likely didn't hurt his father.

Not that any of it matters now. Everything that Harry is and was...is _gone_ now and there's probably not any way to bring him back. If Tim knows anything about science or whatever it takes to transform humans into Pokémon, is that it isn't something that can be _fixed_ just like that. As his father had said, turning people into Pokémon is probably a very complicated process involving lots of pain. Well, minus the pain part if what the cubs 'said' about it is true. Harry may have been joking at the time, but he's probably right about it being complicated. There's only so much that the human mind and body can take... _especially_ turning into Pokémon.

He scratches Pikachu gently behind the ears. The electric mouse seems to melt under his touch, leaning in closer to him for warmth.

"I'm sorry," he whispers quietly into the nothingness. He can't believe that Harry transforming into a Pikachu is what it took for him to see that maybe...his dad hadn't been such a bad guy, after all (oh, the irony of that.) They'd both been dealing with his mother's death and in different ways. His father had just decided to shut everyone out, including his son. Tim realizes now that it's partly (okay, _mostly)_ his fault that things got so bad between them. If Harry tried to call, he should have answered. If Harry had gotten the chance to send that train ticket to him, he should have...

He should have gotten on that _first_ train so many years ago when Harry finally broke out of his fog of grief. If he had, maybe things would be a lot different between them now. It wouldn't be so awkward and tense.

If...

If Harry got out of here, he can too. He just has to _find_ how his father escaped, minus ending up in the middle of nowhere with no memory as to _how._ And preferably _not_ getting turned into a Pokémon, himself.

It makes him realize that he's going to have to make a very heartbreaking decision.

He can't stay sitting here without doing anything.

Leave the cubs to go find an escape route and help, or bring them with him and risk them getting hurt in the process? Once he finds help, he can let the police know they're down here. They've been fine the entire time he and Pikachu were working on the case, he has to tell himself. It might not be the ideal situation for them, but they were still fine. Of course, there's also the risk of them being moved again, but Tim would rather not put them in harm's way; the exact line of thought that Harry had when he'd been protecting his son from PCL.

Harry had _always_ been protecting him, looking out for him. He'd always put his son first.

"I'm sorry," Tim says again mournfully, this time directed at the small, black and white cubs. Their eyes shine in the dark with tears, realizing that they're going to be left alone again. "I have to go. I'll come back with help."

He holds his breath as he moves the smallest Pancham out of his lap. It struggles and whines for a moment to stay in its comfortable position, but allows Tim to move it so he can get up and put one leg over the cage, then the other.

Pikachu stares at him blankly from behind the cage. It makes Tim wonder...should he leave his father, too? Except he's not his 'father' anymore. Should he risk putting Pikachu in even more danger? It's probably more of a risk if he stays down here and someone realizes that he's the former Harry Goodman. Or Roger might even come and torment him further. Tim makes the decision that it's safer for Pikachu to come with him, leaning over the cage to pick the Pokémon up and bring him over to the other side.

Harry had always been protecting him; now it's his turn to protect _Harry._

"Pikachu. Pika," he says in a heartfelt goodbye to the cubs, pushing his nose through the cage. Tim wishes, ironically, that he could still understand the yellow mouse. Crazy how things can 'change.'

The biggest Pancham of the three, presumably the oldest sibling, comes up to the side of the cage. It nods, determination strong in its gaze. Tim might not be able to understand them like he had understood Harry, but its expression is worth a thousand words alone.

"Pan, pan. Cham. Pancham."

_You can do this. We'll be fine. We trust you._

Tim doesn't know what he's done to deserve that trust yet, but he's going to do his best not to fail them.

He _won't._

They huddle close together in the middle of the cage on the blanket again, finding comfort in each other. Tim forces his attention back to the task at hand: finding a way out.

If he doesn't find help or a way out, then maybe a way to reverse the transformations. Either one is good even if it might mean he'll still be stuck here. Helping the kids, their mother and hopefully his father get back to normal is his number one priority, barring whatever might happen to him in the process.

He reaches an arm down to Pikachu's level so the Pokémon can climb up, but Pikachu stays rooted to the spot.

"What's wrong?" he asks. Pikachu continues staring at him, eyes trailing to his shoulders.

There's a lot of _hesitance._

But Tim nods, and that hesitance immediately disappears even though Pikachu still seems a bit cautious.

"You can stay up there," Tim whispers to reassure the mouse that it's fine.

His heart jabs at the thought of his father. The only thing Harry wanted was to stay close, but he had denied him even that small thing.

Pikachu rests a comforting paw on the side of his cheek as if to comfort him it's alright. Tim gulps, holding back oncoming tears. It's what his mother used to do to comfort him, and Harry must be subconsciously remembering that. Tim begins to inch forward further into the darkness, unsure of where he's really going but sure that he has to keep moving _forward._ Wherever forward might lead, he hopes it will lead him to some answers.

The warehouse doesn't even have any doors that Tim can see. The deeper he goes, the more he begins to doubt that there _is_ a way out. How do the _scientists_ get in and out? The low hum of machines make up for lack of sound and the blinking lights emitting from the machines themselves offer at least a little light; he doesn't want to waste what little battery his phone has left. He figures it's actually a _good_ thing that his eyes have adjusted to the dark, now.

It seems like he's been walking forever when finally...a door. Unfortunately, there's no exit sign above that signals an escape, but it's a door nonetheless that could lead to _another_ door that might lead to an eacape.

It's good enough for him to attempt opening it, which isn't too hard since it isn't locked. Why would it be if PCL isn't ever expecting someone like him to try and open it? As far as PCL is concerned, _no one_ would ever find the underground part of the lab and break in. Their mistake.

Tim opens the door into an office kind of area; it surprisingly _looks_ like any other office that wouldn't be part of anything suspicious going on at all, a table in the middle of the room and a couch on one side. A coffee maker is even resting on a desk near the couch.

He watches Pikachu out of the corner of his eye for any kind of reaction, but...no. Pikachu's nose isn't even wiggling at the faint smell of coffee in the room.

A lamp sitting on the table offers some light when Tim flicks it on, shielding his eyes for a moment so they can get used to the sudden light.

Tim decides that maybe he should help jog his father's memory a little.

"You used to love coffee...want to give it another try?" he asks once he's made a nice, steaming cup. He lifts it up to his shoulder for the former human to take.

Pikachu takes a sniff, his face instantly scrunching in disgust.

He turns his head away from the cup.

"Pika," he says stubbornly. Tim's heart drops. It had been worth a try...but he's already wasted enough time as it is, setting the cup down on the desk and turning his attention back to the mysterious office.

Some notes and papers are carelessly scattered across the table's surface. Tim is just barely able to make out the title of an old newspaper:

_'Man named Bill accidentally combines himself with a Pokémon.'_

How does _that_ even happen? At least he hadn't been _completely_ turned into a Pokémon.

Another catches his interest, though it's not a newspaper but more research.

_'The study of Greninja's Bond Phenomenon.'_

"So that's why there was a Greninja," Tim whispers to Pikachu, even if the mouse can't remember their battle against it. "They were studying it to see if it could help with their transformation experiments."

What Pokémon _isn't_ an experiment here? It angers Tim to no end that both humans _and_ Pokémon are being treated unfairly by this place.

_'Magician temporarily turns boy into Pikachu.'_

A Pikachu? Why isn't he surprised? At least for the boy, it had only been _temporary._ He can't be too sure about Harry. He forces himself not to think about it too hard. PCL sure is obsessed with humans morphing into Pokémon. To see that obsession all layed out is a bit frightening and a reminder of what these people are actually capable of. He hopes Lucy and Psyduck are both safe.

Tim moves away from the table, about to take another step forward towards the door so they can continue their search when Pikachu suddenly bristles, his fur standing on edge. Tim halts, not daring to move a muscle or make a sound.

 _What?_ he asks in his mind, refusing to speak in case they can be heard. _Is someone coming in?_

Not that he's expecting a response from Pikachu since he hadn't actually spoken, but the pressure that he'd felt after waking up from the so-called 'dream' is starting to return. Staying calm had seemed to work the first time, so he does his best to remain calm _now._

It doesn't work.

He takes a step forward, trying to ignore his pounding head. He reaches for the doorknob, opening the door into the darkness once more.

Another step forward.

The pressure gets _worse._

It's probably a dumb idea, he knows that. Following where the pressure might be coming from could lead him straight to Mewtwo. The _dangerous_ Pokémon that had reached a hand out towards his father and caused him pain. But maybe there's more to the story that he doesn't know...maybe Mewtwo has _answers,_ or even a way out. He takes a leap of faith and continues following the direction the more it seems that the pressure in his head builds.

A faint, green light up ahead confirms his suspicion that maybe he's right about following the building pressure. It seems to be at its peak and doesn't fade away or get any worse than it already is. He's not sure how much farther into the warehouse he can go; he's most likely at its deepest point by now based on the chill and he's once again glad that he's wearing his jacket.

The green seems to be emitting faintly from a second containment chamber once again filled with liquid.

A containment chamber similar to the first one, but more of a cylinder shape. This one actually _contains_ an occupant—a startlingly familiar purple and white occupant that he recognizes from both of his flashback-dreams that he and Harry (and _not_ -Harry) shared. Another difference is that wires seem to be connected to it from the inside. It looks even more uncomfortable than the last.

Pikachu takes one look at Mewtwo and whimpers, crawling from Tim's shoulders into his arms, turning his face away and burying himself deeply into Tim's chest.

Tim can only hold him tighter, trying the best he can to comfort him _and_ himself. Maybe this hadn't been the best idea after all, based on Pikachu's reaction.

He can only stare at the psychic Pokémon, determined not to show any fear and failing miserably when a voice enters his head just like it had in the 'dream' and its eyes flash open. The only thing that keeps him from going into full-on panic mode is just how... _weak_ the deep and echoey voice seems. 

_It is nice to finally meet you, Tim Goodman._

Its eyes trail down to Pikachu, and Tim keeps a firm and comforting grip on him.

_Just as your father promised._

[](https://www.hitwebcounter.com)   
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Something has come up that might make it difficult for me to update regularly. This might even have to go on hiatus but I really hope not, because I do want to continue it. So just know that updates might be a lot slower and may even stop altogether for a while.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I may have to change my usual update schedule from normally-Thursdays to sometime during the weekend if I can find time.
> 
> Tread carefully in this chapter (near the end) if you have a fear of needles.

_Though I wish it were under different circumstances,_ the psychic says, its words flowing easily into his head. It's so strange hearing a voice coming not from an external source, but _internal._ There's nothing he can do to escape it even if he tries, but the Pokémon trapped in containment hasn't tried to attack him yet.

Tim still doesn't let go of Pikachu, and the mouse doesn't argue as his grip tightens almost unintentionally around his fur.

"Me too..." he agrees, looking over the containment chamber that seems ten times as uncomfortable as the one in the main lab. He supposes that if he were a part of PCL which he _isn't,_ he would want to make sure that a Pokémon like Mewtwo can't escape again if he already tried once. His father had told him that Mewtwo is described by PCL as the most powerful Pokémon known to mankind, after all.

 _That is not what I meant,_ Mewtwo says while keeping his attention focused on Pikachu in his arms, and another chill sweeps through Tim; he's not sure if he'll ever get used to a voice _inside his head._ This is just as bad as when he'd discovered that he could understand Pikachu, though that was just normal talking. Normal enough talking coming from a Pokémon, anyway. It's a lot different coming from what's supposedly the most powerful Pokémon in the _world._

Harry had been sent to track him down and he'd _succeeded._

Of course he would. He's a _legend,_ just as Yoshida had said. Tim manages to break his awestruck and fearful gaze away from Mewtwo.

_Was._

_Harry Goodman is not gone,_ the strange voice lets him know softly.

Tim looks back up sharply, hardly believing his ears...head...or however the psychic is using its powers to talk with him. "What?"

His breath almost leaves him, and his grip only further tightens on Pikachu. The smaller Pokémon glances up at him, his dull brown eyes seeming just the tiniest bit brighter.

There's...still hope that Harry can be brought back?

 _Yes,_ Mewtwo answers, but he doesn't sound too...confident.

Pikachu gathers enough courage to look back at Mewtwo. Tim feels him squirm in his arms to be let down, so he obliges and allows his only source of comfort to move towards Mewtwo's containment.

"Pika," he whispers, both ears down and lowering his body to the ground in a submissive state. Almost like...he's _ashamed_ of something. An echo of the past haunting him even as a regular Pikachu.

 _You did your best to keep your promise,_ Tim can hear Mewtwo say, though not directed at him but at Pikachu, even if he can't remember that he's _Harry._ That he has a big part in this case. _I am not angry at you._

Pikachu's posture relaxes a little. Tim is baffled; is Mewtwo actually _talking_ to Pikachu? He can understand both Pokémon and humans?

The psychic groans, wires pulling at his body. Wires that could only be sapping his energy to make sure he can't escape. He turns his attention back to Tim. _I cannot restore his true self in my current state._

It takes a moment for his words to settle in and make a connection, the tiniest bit of hope flaring.

"You can help him get back to normal?"

Mewtwo nods gently.

To Tim's horror, the psychic lifts a hand in his direction from behind the glass—just as he had done to his father. He wants to run and _tries_ to, but his feet are glued to the floor. Whether it's his own overwhelming fear or Mewtwo using his psychic powers to keep him in place, Tim isn't sure. He doesn't _feel_ like he's being restrained.

If being talked to through his mind wasn't confusing enough, the onslaught of images overtaking his vision are even _worse._ The psychic is doing something to him, but he can't escape it even if be tries. Pikachu whimpers and closes his eyes, also affected by the psychic's powers.

xxxx

_Tim is back in the main part of the lab once again with the first and unbroken containment chamber that holds Mewtwo inside, his father standing in front of it in his human body._

_Mewtwo's eyes are closed, but he still talks as though he's awake, directing his telepathic ability towards Harry and Harry alone—the doctor isn't there and neither are the scientists. It's just them in the empty lab._

_"Tim is my son," Harry says."He is...was a good kid."_

_**Was?** the voice belonging to the psychic questions curiously. Harry feels like he can trust him as he reveals old scars of the past that he has never talked about with anyone else before._

_"He doesn't exactly live with me anymore," Harry responds to Mewtwo's question."It's been a long time. He was supposed to come and live with me years ago, but..."_

_**He didn't,** Mewtwo finishes for him. It's easy to forget that the being can read his thoughts before he says them out loud._

_"Yeah, you're right," Harry says, dejected. "I wish he had gotten on that train, but I didn't want to force him to come. But maybe now, if I get a ticket and invite him again, he might..."_

_**I wish to meet him,** the deep and almost echoey voice says, but the Pokémon's mouth isn't even moving. _

_"One day," he can hear his father reply. "I'll bring him to you. I'll get you out of here...I promise."_

_**A human has never made me a promise before,** Mewtwo says, his voice almost to the point of trusting...but not quite. Maybe with a little warning, too._

_"I'll do my best to keep it. I'm the one who got you into this mess," Harry says, keeping direct eye contact with Mewtwo so he knows he's telling the truth; that he would never break a promise he makes._

_Silence overtakes the two. Mewtwo flinches in his semi-alert state, affected by the tubes connected to the chamber...the tubes that take his DNA._

_"His favorite Pokémon is Pikachu," Harry says as a kind of distraction._

_Mewtwo's body relaxes, much to Harry's relief. While he's here, at least he can provide Mewtwo with some comfort. He's not exactly supposed to be here in the lab alone like this, but Howard had granted him special access thanks to tracking down Mewtwo, a feat that Harry will never forgive himself for. If only he knew Howard's true plans...he never would have agreed to it in the first place._

_**I knew a human once with a Pikachu parter,** Mewtwo says, and Harry can feel his mind drifting towards memories of the person he knew. **The human helped me more than once.**_

_"I hope I can do the same," Harry responds quietly. He really hopes he can. The 'in' that he has with Howard is surely helping so far._

_**Why do you not have a partner of your own?** _

_Harry hardly reacts to the question, but Mewtwo can sense his uneasiness. It's one he's been asked multiple times, but doesn't really have an answer to, himself. He actually does if he thinks about it hard enough, but he doesn't like to. It brings up unpleasant memories._

_Losing his wife. Tim refusing to choose his own partner because of it. He's always just_ _preferred to work alone for as long as he can remember. He's just never found a_ _Pokémon he ever really formed a bond with._

_The image changes back to when the scientists surround Harry._

_**The plan has changed,**_ _Mewtwo's voice rings in Tim's head. The Pokémon stretches a hand towards his father._ _**And so will you...but not by** **them.**_

_Harry bends over suddenly, crying out in some kind of pain of his own._

_The image distorts sharply without warning—_

The dream, no—now Tim knows what they _really_ are—that they really _are_ coming from Mewtwo, and the psychic is trying to tell him something _important._

Pikachu is just as surprised that the images suddenly disappeared, shaking his head dizzily.

Tim should have realized that following the pressure straight to Mewtwo also meant that he'd be found by PCL a lot sooner.

Mewtwo visibly cringes inside the chamber, jerking when the wires pull and suddenly activate.

Tim can only take that as bad news.

_No. My powers still are not strong enough. They are coming—_

The wall next to him suddenly opens up, a door that blended in like the trap door in the tile floor. Tim doesn't even have time to think when he's surrounded, just like Harry had been in the flashback.

"Pika!" Pikachu cries, attempting to rush towards him and failing as one scientist reaches down to grab him by the scruff of his neck. The rubber gloves the scientist is wearing don't exactly help Pikachu's situation, disabling his electricity so he can't even _try_ to shock anyone.

"No! No! Pikachu!" he screams, but they've already knocked him unconscious by putting a cloth over his tiny nose so he won't be able to struggle.

He failed. He failed to protect his father. Now they're _both_ in danger and there's absolutely _nothing_ he can do—

Tim kicks out, but the scientists have a firm grip on him and they aren't letting go anytime soon, moving fast in another direction and separating him from Pikachu. Where are they taking his father? Where are they taking _him?_ Tim struggles the best he can, but it's difficult. It's obvious by the way the scientists have such a firm hold on him that they have a lot of _experience_ dealing with this kind of situation from other unwilling subjects. Tim just barely notices another door they pass by. A big, familiar bolted door that Harry first heard Mewtwo's voice from. Tim realizes that he really _did_ find another way in through the trap door.

All too quickly, he finds that he's been led into a room. It seems like any room that would belong at the doctor's, except for the single metal table resting in the middle of it. Tim continues struggling to the best of his ability, refusing to be put onto said table, but one of the scientists—a man behind a mask—pushes him down less than a little gently.

Wait. It's a detail he hadn't noticed in the sudden commotion. Why are they all wearing _masks?_

The man that appears to be the head scientist goes over to a sink, casually washing his hands and opening a top drawer to bring out a needle.

Tim's heart skips a few beats.

A needle.

He's never been outright _afraid_ of needles, especially when getting his blood drawn at the doctor's. It was always simple; just go in the room and then out with a small bandage wrapped over a band-aid on your arm.

But no one needs to be a detective to figure out that this is no _normal_ needle with how _huge_ and _uninviting_ it looks, the purple R-like substance inside anything but good news.

Tim can take a wild guess at what the needle's purpose is if what happened to the kids, their mom and his father says anything.

He'll never be able to escape now. Even if he does, how will he tell anyone what really happened? _What_ exactly are they going to turn him into? Maybe if he had a choice, he'd actually be a little excited. The idea of having powers is kind of cool, but what good would they be if he doesn't even know how to use them until he figures them out like Harry had to?

He instantly shakes that thought away. It isn't right. It isn't _natural._ It's not the way it's _supposed_ to be. He can't start thinking like _Howard._

And there's nothing he can do except struggle uselessly as the scientists continue holding him as one lifts his jacket past his shoulder so the needle can be easily injected. They don't even bother wiping it clean with alcohol, first. Why would they if this is how they treat their 'patients?'

In all the madness, Tim realizes that he hasn't seen Roger _or_ Howard. He has a bad feeling that maybe Howard doesn't even _know_ what Roger is doing right now, just like he hadn't had any idea about what happened to Harry. Would he allow it to happen if he did? Is Howard not even as involved in this case as they once thought, and _Roger_ is the main culprit? Howard may have sent Harry to track down Mewtwo, but maybe he's not involved with the _transformations._

Roger's absence leaves him highly unnerved; is he really watching through a camera as he suspects, actually _enjoying_ what's going on?

...Is this the exact same thing that happened to Harry, or was Mewtwo trying to tell him something else? It's hard for him to think straight with so many people stronger than him holding him down.

"Proceeding with the Non-Neural Link method," he's just barely able to make out the head scientist say.

He's thankful that he took his father's advice to get a good rest, otherwise he'd be worn out from fighting by now, and he'll keep fighting until the _end._ He's not going to give up so easily like the scientists hope he will so their job will be easier.

But there's only one of him and more of them, his muscles finally growing tired from so much struggling.

The cubs were right: he doesn't feel the needle push into his skin.

It doesn't hurt.

Not at all.

It _can't_ as darkness creeps into the corners of his eyes until it fully consumes him, his last thought wondering how _different_ it will be when— _if_ —he wakes up.

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did Tim just get turned into a Pokémon? Yes, yes he did ;) What do you think PCL turned him into?


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Probably the shortest chapter ever, but it's all I had time for...plus I REALLY want to see if anyone can guess what Pokémon Tim turned into just by reading this short and vague description xD

_...Dad?_

_I'm sorry._

_I'm sorry for not giving you a chance._

_I'm sorry I didn't answer whenever you tried to call._

_I'm sorry I kept calling you Pikachu..._

_I should have gotten on that train years ago._

_He knows what he would have done now if Harry's recent birthday card and the train ticket had made it to him. But it's too late...he'll never get the chance to say sorry._

_For everything. That he finally forgives him._

Tim blinks wearily, every muscle in his body aching. Faintly in the back of his mind, he wonders why that is; Harry had told him that he didn't feel sore upon waking up after being transformed.

_...Transformed._

Gasping, his eyes flicker open as he remembers what had transpired (why does _he_ remember? Harry had _forgotten_ how he was transformed)

He instantly stares down at his paws without even bothering to make sense of his surroundings or _who_ is around him, first.

His hands are gone. He has _paws..._

Oh, _Arceus._

His paws are _pink._

Glancing behind him, he finds that his pink tail is long and swishing wildly back and forth once he realizes that he has an extra appendage where there _shouldn't_ be one.

He has a _tail!_

His ears feel shorter and placed atop his head where they shouldn't be, twitching at muffled sounds he can barely hear in his shock.

It feels like he still has clothes on, but that's impossible when he notices the very short, hardly visible and delicate fur on his paws.

He has _fur!_

But the thing that unnerves him the most is that upon second glance at what he can make out in the middle of his panic is the fact that he cannot _immediately_ recognize what he had been turned into.

He takes a deep breath but it doesn't help, only reminding him that he's not in his human body where he's supposed to be.

Trying to remain calm is as useless as a Magikarp at this point.

The one thing he didn't want to have happen... _happened._

Just like his father.

He was turned into a _Pokémon!_

[](https://www.hitwebcounter.com)   
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter is better than no chapter, right? Next one will be longer, I promise!


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Early update to make up for that super short chapter :)

As soon as he had woken up, he'd fallen right back asleep. If 'asleep' is even the right word. He still hadn't felt anything poke him though, which he supposes is a good thing despite his situation. He breathes as calmly as he can without opening his eyes for fear of what he might see, unable to truly make any sense of his thoughts. All he knows is that the impossible happened.

The unthinkable. He was turned into a _Pokémon..._

But which one? From what he can remember before blacking out, there hadn't been any details that he recognized. All his mind keeps drifting back to is how the scientists had grabbed him, separating him from his father and dragging him down the hallways.

_Then the scientists wearing masks holding him down on the cold, hard table, one of them bringing a large needle towards him..._

He shudders, not exactly from the cold. He can still remember what happened, thankfully. That's an image that will stay with him for as long as he lives. He hasn't forgotten like Harry had (which still confuses him) so the next step is escaping and getting help.

Braving whatever he might face, Tim opens his eyes slowly, as calmly as he can without freaking out.

His goal of staying calm fails when he realizes with a start that he's... _underwater?!_ How is he underwater and _breathing?!_ His mouth opens but when water gets inside, it very surprisingly doesn't affect him. He doesn't start choking. He realizes that he's breathing exactly as one is supposed to when they're _not_ underwater.

 _You're a_ _Pokémon now,_ he tells himself sternly to stop himself from freaking out too badly. _So obviously you can breathe underwater._

It grounds him enough to at least _try_ thinking a little clearly, however impossible that may seem. Squinting his eyes, he can just make out the familiar main lab area that had first housed Mewtwo. So he's in the first containment chamber that had recently been fixed...great. At least it's somewhat better than finding himself stuck in the middle of nowhere like Harry. And why does he still feel sore, unlike Harry? It's like the complete opposite that happened to his father, except for their similar situations of being turned into Pokémon.

Taking another deep breath despite the fact that he's still _underwater_ with bubbles floating around him, he looks down and lifts his hands...no, _paws_ towards his face. Out of the corner of his eye, he takes notice of a crease in his short fur where he'd been poked by the needle in his left shoulder. Hmm...Harry hadn't had anything like that, either. Maybe it was just because Pikachu has much fluffier fur, making it hard to see on whatever shoulder he'd been poked.

 _Pink,_ he remembers fearfully. _I'm pink...oh God, what am I?_ He still can't make any sense of what Pokémon he is.

Chansey? Clefairy? What if it's Lickitung or Flaaffy or even Ditto? ...He'd never be able to live with himself. But no, Ditto doesn't have paws or a tail last time he checked (unless the pink blob transformed into a Pokémon that _did)_

Tim shakes his head in disagreement with himself. None of the Pokémon he had thought of are able breathe underwater, unless he's forgotten some important details about them. He stares ahead at the empty lab, trying his best to concentrate. The emptiness almost reminds him of the visions that Mewtwo had shown him of his father being alone with the psychic.

 _...Hello?_ he says, or at least _tries_ to say cautiously, just in case someone really is here.

"Mew?"

He gasps through the water, still a little more than concerned (probably more grateful) that he can actually _breathe_ in the liquid. How is that even possible? Even with powers, most non-water type Pokémon aren't able to breathe on their own.

_I'm a Mew?_

...What's a Mew? He's never even _heard_ of a Mew before, except maybe Mew- _two._ Does Mew have something to do with the psychic? Is it the _first_ version of Mewtwo?

He feels his cheeks warm up.

A pink Pokémon wouldn't have been his first choice if he had _any_ choice at all. He tries to recall something, _anything_ from his plethora of knowledge on Pokémon he'd learned as a child, but nothing about Mew comes forward. It doesn't sound the _slightest_ bit familiar.

Maybe there's an entirely good reason for not hearing about it.

His mind flashes back to the article he'd found on Harry's desk back in his apartment that his father had been supposedly looking into before his disappearance.

_More remains of Ancient Mew unearthed at Ryme City dig site._

Arceus.

Not only did he get turned into a Pokémon, he got turned into an extremely _rare_ one. If by some miracle he escapes and someone sees him in the city, he'll be done for and end up in another lab somewhere else, unless a trainer breaks the rules and attempts to catch him. Is this what PCL's plan had been all along? To turn humans into Pokémon until they managed to succeed in getting the _specific_ Pokémon they wanted? To bring a myth to life?

_Testing, testing..._

"Mew, mew," he murmurs slowly to test out his new voice. It sounds a little high-pitched and kind of echoey, almost like Mewtwo but not as deep.

Like a Litten literally saying _mew._ So if his voice sounds a little like Mewtwo's, does that mean he's also a psychic type, especially if he can breathe underwater too? It's really weird that he can understand what he's trying to say in his head, but it comes out as Poké speak. And what number is he in the Pokédex if Mew's data is even registered, from what region? He really wishes that he knew more about this strange and pink Pokémon. He's never seen or heard of anything like it and now he _is_ it.

Heart picking up speed, he knows he has to come up with a plan and _fast_ before Roger wants to do any more testing of his own on him.

He just has to do that before he becomes a normal Pokémon and forgets _everything._

Based on Pikachu and Pangoro, he has about a week before he loses himself to his Pokémon side. If he was younger like the cubs, maybe being a Pokémon wouldn't affect him, but he _isn't_.

He won't be stuck here for a week, he'll make sure of it. Mew has to have powers just like any other Pokémon, he just has to figure them out. But is that really a good idea...? Harry using his powers had caused him to lose who he was faster than if he had simply stayed as a Pikachu for a week.

He weighs his options carefully. If he doesn't try escaping by using his powers, he'll lose his memory in a week. If he _does_ use his powers to try and escape, he'll lose his memory _faster._

PCL (more specifically _Roger)_ really thought it through. Once he loses who he is, they'll have a _real_ Mew on their hands. It had to have been their plan the whole time with all these experiments...Mew must really be worth the time and effort. And also worth _millions._

Tim looks up and around all sides of him at the tiny containment chamber he's been placed in with hardly any room to move around.

What is he supposed to do?! What would _Harry_ do? Is that the right question he should even be asking himself with how terrible a 'detective' he's turning out to be?

"I see our new test subject is finally awake again. We couldn't have you panicking too badly."

Tim's head snaps up instantly at the new voice that just made itself known, coming from right in front of the glass. He can hear the voice perfectly clear; it isn't muffled at all despite him still being underwater.

His eyes narrow at the voice's owner and he frowns.

The man who had done this to him, his father and the others.

What did he just call him? _Test subject..._

A low growl escapes his throat before he can even think twice about it. Roger already seems pleased that he reacted like a normal Pokémon would in the face of danger. Tim immediately stops himself from continuing the growl. It sounds pathetic coming from such a cutesy voice, anyway.

"It seems the first, physical stage of the transformation went well," Roger says to the group of five that Tim only just now notices, looking him over like he is indeed nothing but a test subject and not an innocent human being he'd recently transformed into a _Pokémon._ "No adverse side effects, but memory loss usually occurs after about a week into the subject's new life."

Tim snorts at 'new life.' He's not going to let that happen; he's going to get out of here. He _has_ to, and then he has to find a cure. A way to reverse the transformations.

He sucks in a sharp breath as he realizes that the scientists who are with Roger are the same who had forced him down onto the metal table, all wearing lab coats and...masks?

For some reason, the scientists are still wearing masks even if they aren't currently doing any kind of testing. Any kind of _transformations._

"Where's my father? Where did you take him?" he asks directly towards the scientists, trying and failing to hide his desperation. "What about Lucy and Psyduck? Where are they?" If his worst fear had happened to him, both Lucy and Psyduck have to be in just as much trouble. What Pokémon would she turn out to be? He doesn't like to think about it, steering his thoughts away.

None of the scientists answer, and certainly not Roger. He's not even sure if the man and his team can understand what he's saying, if he's no longer able to communicate normally.

They ignore him, refusing to answer his question. Either that, or they really _can't_ understand him. Or something terrible happened to his father, Lucy and Psyduck and they're refusing to tell him. He _really_ hopes it isn't the last option. Roger writes something down onto a clipboard. Whatever it is, Tim can't make it out and he doesn't really want to.

"Why are you doing this?!" he wants to scream to all of them, especially Roger, but again his words only come out in multiple panicked _mew, mew, mew, mews_ as he swirls in circles and upside down erratically. Is 'mew' really all he's able to say? How frustrating...

"Change me back!" he demands sharply, paws curling into tiny fists to slam against the glass. It's probably no use, but trying _something_ is better than not doing anything. He doesn't even make a dent. "Change _everyone_ back!"

He's not exactly eager to get poked by a large needle again, but he'll do anything if it means he'll turn back into a _human._ The thing he's naturally been since birth and has been for his whole life up until now.

Roger's stare remains hard, processing what Tim must be trying to tell him just based on the tone of his voice alone and the _predictable_ demand he's most likely making.

"I'm assuming your father didn't tell you that an unfortunate side effect of being turned into a Pokémon without the neural link...is that it's permanent and we _can't_ change you back. One of the downfalls of snooping around places you shouldn't is learning a thing or two you might not be ready to hear."

Roger can't be fully telling the truth; of _course_ he isn't. He has every reason in the world not to trust Roger Clifford.

He thinks back to when Harry had told him that he snuck into Howard's office. Did he accidentally leave behind some kind of hint he'd been inside?

 _Way to go, Dad,_ Tim scolds inwardly. But no, he instantly cuts off that line of thought. He can't be mad at his father and give Roger satisfaction.

Tim shakes his head frantically. He _can't_ be stuck like this for the rest of his life. Neural link? Did that have something to do with the Non-Neural Link method that he can clearly remember the head scientist talking about before blacking out as the needle had been injected? He can't recall Harry telling him anything about a Neural Link or Non-Neural link method, but now he has a bad feeling that his father might have been trying to hide that specific detail from him, and maybe because of what Roger just told him about the Non-Neural link method being...

"You're lying. It's not permanent!" he shouts as loudly as he can.

Mewtwo had said there's still hope that Harry can be brought back. If that's true for his father, then it's also true for him. It _has_ to be. He's not falling for any of Roger's lies. He'd rather believe a supposedly-dangerous Pokémon that's turning out to be _not_ as dangerous as Tim previously believed. Mewtwo hadn't attacked him _or_ Pikachu when they met. Instead, he had tried to _show_ them something.

Why aren't the scientists doing anything to help him? Any _one_ of them? They may have done this to him in the first place, but at least _one_ has to have morals, a conscience that's telling them maybe what they're doing isn't _right._

Roger speaks again, his tone filled with spite.

"My father thinks he currently has the most powerful Pokémon known to mankind in his hands, but I'd say Mew just as valuable, if not _more."_

Tim blinks uncertainly. Mew is possibly even _stronger_ than Mewtwo? Why would Roger let him know that? Then again, he doesn't know one single thing about Mew. Probably not a lot of people _do._ It isn't like he can try using any of its powers to escape yet, and he's still not sure that's a good idea.

Of _course_ Roger wants more power than Howard to either show off, prove he's better or just to try and impress him. Roger really does have issues if this is what he's capable of, maybe even more than he and Harry themselves.

"Ditto," the head scientist says in response to Roger's statement, the one that Tim clearly remembers bringing the needle towards him. " _He won't know what hit him."_

The man is coming closer as if to inspect their captive, finally taking off his mask and tapping the glass curiously like a child.

Tim thinks his heart stops for a second once it registers that the scientist's eyes aren't exactly _normal_ but small and beady and black, but it continues beating wildly against his chest so hard he fears it might burst.

Did he hear that correctly with his new and sensitive ears, or is he just able to understand _Pokémon_ now because he is one himself?

The scientist in front of him is suddenly no longer a _human,_ morphing easily from its human form into a...

_"Can't really argue with that one. Ditto have always been pretty creepy," he can recall Harry saying back at the CNM studio._

_"How come?" he remembers himself asking._

_"Trust me kid, you don't want to know," Harry had responded._

He was right.

 _Ditto_ had been the ones to transform him, not actual scientists. Creepy Ditto that can actually _talk_ like real humans when they transform. He wishes he can go back to _not_ knowing, but it's too late. He'll never forget what he's just seen.

Yep. Roger's insane if he had managed to create Ditto like _these._ The thought of the 'scientists' holding him down is ten times more disturbing, now. Especially the one with the _needle._

 _I thought you hated Ditto,_ Tim thinks to himself, recalling the argument that Roger had with Howard about no one liking his Pokémon. Any hope of convincing any of the scientists to help him just flew out the window.

"Let me go," he growls harshly to distract himself, but Roger simply smiles in response. The Ditto morphs back into its scientist form, putting the mask back on, but Tim has already seen enough. It's crystal clear what the _other_ four scientists are too, now.

The 'head scientist' gladly takes Roger's clipboard to hold it for him.

"You won't be going anywhere for a while," Roger says as a complete coincidence. Either that, or he's just really good at guessing what Tim is going to 'say' next. "Once you lose your mind like your father, we can properly continue with the next process."

A chill sweeps through Tim, and not because of the water. Process? What process?

That _can't_ be anything good.

Roger turns his back to leave, motioning for the five Ditto-humans to follow him.

Good riddance. Tim would rather be alone in the lab than with a maniac and his team of equally-crazy Ditto.

 _It's okay. It's okay. You're okay,_ he tells himself firmly, even though it's not and _he's_ not.

Far from it.

He really wishes that he had asked Harry _how_ exactly he managed to get his powers working when he had the chance just in case _something_ like this happened, even though he's not sure it's a good idea.

Alone at last but still not entirely safe and in a whole different body, it all crashes down on him.

No wonder Mewtwo hadn't been placed back in the first containment chamber; Roger had been saving it just for _him._

He's been turned into a Pokémon that he knows absolutely _nothing_ about out of all eight-hundred something they could have picked for him.

He's suddenly all too aware of an oncoming headache, his strong new sense of smell and sensitive hearing catapulting like no tomorrow against him. His mind (or is it _Mew's_ mind? He can't start thinking like that. Not yet) is far more expansive than he can currently handle. The urge to explore every inch of the world almost too overwhelming but with what Roger had told him, he wouldn't put it past Mew's capabilities. He can feel its innocence radiating, its strong and unexpected urge to _play_ difficult to push down.

It hasn't even been a few hours since he woke up, and he can already feel himself slipping away with how strong Mew's psyche is. Like a vast, endless ocean.

The sensation really is overwhelming.

Tim sighs, and he can't help but continue to marvel at the fact that he's actually able to breathe underwater. In any other circumstance, he'd think it's really cool.

But it's _not._

Never in his entire twenty-one years of life did he ever expect that at one point, he'd be turned into the one thing he's hated most since his mother died. Since his father left him behind to move to Ryme City.

A _Pokémon._

He tried so hard to help his father get back to normal, but now he's in the exact same situation. He's almost glad that Harry isn't here to see him like this. If he does, he'd probably lose his mind _again_ that Roger had dared put him in harm's way.

He weighs the options a second time in his racing mind, neither looking good.

If he stays stuck here for a week, he'll turn into a _real_ Pokémon, able to be affected by R and all. If he figures out his powers and attempts to use them to escape, he'll turn into a real Pokémon _faster._

His hope of escaping dwindles even further and he sinks to the bottom of the chamber in despair, not sure if his eyes are wet from the water itself or tears, but he can feel something streaming down his pink and furry cheeks.

How is he going to get out of this?!

[](https://www.hitwebcounter.com)   
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I guess I underestimated you guys, because you got it really fast xD
> 
> I was so sure Mew was going to appear in the movie at one point (actual Mew) because in one of the books for the movie that was never released, the summary said 'featuring fan-favorites Mew and Mewtwo' or something like that. So I was surprised and a little disappointed when it wasn't; the book must have been based on an early draft. It was never released. So what better way to add Mew into the story than by having our poor protagonist change into one? ;)
> 
> And too bad Tim doesn't know that he could just teleport out of there if he wanted, but then again he's too afraid to try using any of his powers for fear of losing his memory faster...


	20. Chapter 20

Tim had thought that sitting in the dark with the cubs was boring, but floating in a water-filled tank is just as bad, if not _worse._

He can't do _anything_ except float in place. Nothing that can try and help him escape. He's just stuck in the water with walls on either side and glass in front of him.

 _Grandma..._ he thinks sorrowfully, squeezing his eyes shut. She knows he's going to be gone for a while since he called her to let her know something else had come up when he'd met Pikachu like he had done with his insurance boss, but what will she do when she realizes that he's gone _longer_ than expected? That is...if Roger doesn't plan on faking his death? If he does something like another car wreck similar to Harry's, he can't imagine how she would take it. Or maybe Roger won't fake his death at all. Maybe he'll use his grandma to get him to cooperate like Pangoro and her cubs, and leave her to wonder what happened to him like Pangoro's husband in the café.

But does it really matter? Even if he gets out of this, he's not exactly _himself._ It isn't like he'd be able to go back home and make sure she's alright, that she knows _he's_ alright and that he'd most likely never leave again—especially that he would never come back to Ryme City after all that had happened to both him and his father. Being a rare Pokémon now, he'll have to hide and make sure he stays out of view of anyone who might be more than willing to break the rules once they lay eyes on him.

He opens his eyes and squints, trying to see if he can find the odd white tile again out of pure boredom, but the effort is futile. He can't find it _anywhere._ How weird...he's _positive_ that he saw something strange just before he and Pikachu fell down into the trap door that had suddenly opened. Then he saw that strange, blue light between his feet...a sudden thought strikes him.

Had it been Mewtwo? Was _Mewtwo_ the one who had saved them, despite how he had said something about being too weak to change Harry back to normal? He can't find the odd tile because there never _was_ one in the first place?

...Was it also why he'd been able to sneak around the underground part of the lab so easily, why that door into the room hadn't even been locked? Because _Mewtwo_ had been helping him the whole time so he could find him and try to tell him something important?

He wouldn't really be surprised at this point; maybe Mewtwo really _isn't_ dangerous as Harry had told him, as he had probably learned from the video he found in Howard's office.

It's still awesome and confusing that he's breathing underwater, his survival instinct in continuous overdrive no matter how much he tries to calm himself down.

 _You shouldn't be breathing at all right now,_ his mind says harshly, forcing him to _think_ that he really is drowning even though he isn't. Or at any second, he fears he'll turn back into a human at the wrong time and start drowning, but it never happens. He's starting to doubt if it will _ever_ happen with the way things are going. First his father, now him...Roger had said there's no way they can be changed back, but Tim still isn't believing any of his lies.

Boredom getting the better of him, he takes in a deep breath and lets it out as another way to try and keep himself calm and occupied while he's stuck inside the containment chamber. Without even meaning to, a...bubble begins to form. An air bubble? It pops before he can get a better look at it. Tilting his head, he lets out another breath and concentrates on forming another bubble, all the while hoping that this isn't one of Mew's powers for his own safety. But he's just so... _bored._ He needs something to do and the bubbles are so entertaining to watch...he manages to make another one, watching as it floats up just as the first had done. He can't resist the urge to pop it with a paw.

He doesn't realize how big the next one he creates is until it's wrapped all the way _around_ him in a circle, blocking any more water from getting into his mouth and also stopping his survival instinct from working so hard. Gasping as if he really _was_ drowning that entire time, relief pours into him that he's not fully underwater anymore but safely secured inside of his own bubble.

So Mew can make bubbles. How useful...not. Is making bubbles really one of Mew's great 'powers?' Did he just risk losing his memory faster in the most stupid way possible? He shakes his head.

The bubble around him unfortunately pops as Tim realizes another presence is making its way into the lab, or more accurately _three._

Tim glares ahead at Roger. He's back, and with two of his Ditto still currently in their human forms. He instantly recognizes the 'head scientist' once more. The second Ditto is probably its assistant, but the other three aren't anywhere to be seen either.

Without any kind of warning, Roger presses a finger onto a computer screen. Tim hears the sound of whirring coming from somewhere above his head and he glances up, eyes widening when a mechanical arm reaches down towards him. He backs away as far as he can until he _can't,_ trapped against the left wall of the containment chamber. Trying again, he swims as fast as he can to the right side instead to try and avoid it—especially now that he sees a _needle_ emerging from the mechanical arm itself. What does Roger want from him? His DNA now that he's Mew? Well, he's not going to allow that.

 _Oh, no. You get that thing away from me! I'm not getting poked again!_ he screams in his head sharply, not even bothering to try and communicate out loud since he already knows the awful truth that _no one_ can understand him anymore. Maybe if he's reunited with Harry it would be a different story and they would be able to talk to each other again. Harry may not remember who he is anymore, but Tim still wants to _try._

Unless it's to change him back into a human, he's not letting that thing anywhere _near_ him, and he's pretty sure its purpose is not to reverse his transformation.

The machine follows him anyway until it's as close as it can possibly get, nearly touching his snout. His eyes slam shut, and he presses himself further against the wall as much as he can—

"He got out!" the head Ditto's assistant cries suddenly. Tim opens his eyes, holding his breath and waiting for the machine to move again.

It doesn't.

He continues holding his breath, averting his attention to Roger and the two Ditto, watching them all closely. The two Ditto scientists move their eyes quickly back and forth, trying to find where he 'went,' but Roger still has his eyes directly on him...like he knows he's still _there._ His heart thuds hard against his chest.

"No. He's still inside," Roger confirms his suspicion. The two Ditto scientists tilt their heads to the side curiously and Tim follows along with the action, just as confused.

 _...I am?_ he wonders to himself, probably more confused out of the three of them combined. Bringing his paws to his face, he realizes that he can see himself perfectly fine, but...they can't?

Did he just learn to use one of his powers unintentionally?

He can turn _invisible?_

...Cool.

Despite himself, he grins. It isn't like they can see him smiling to himself, anyway, so he continues to do so in triumph; this is probably the best thing that's happened since he got here, finally releasing his breath that he'd been holding.

The robotic needle retreats, settling back into place where it was before. No use trying to poke him if they get the wrong place, right?

But then Tim looks on in horror, his grin fading from behind his invisibility as he notices Roger's pleased expression. It had been his _plan_ to get him to react in fear like that.

To get him to start using his powers so he can begin that 'process' he'd been talking about faster. Whatever that process is, it must be a really important part of transforming humans into Pokémon, and Tim can only guess what that process might be if it needs to continue _after_ the transformations.

His eyelids suddenly feel heavy and it's difficult to keep them open, his body only materializing again when he's alone in the lab once more.

Score one for Roger Clifford.

xxxx

Harry groans, his back leg twitching as he comes to his senses. Shaking his head to clear the dizziness, he immediately notices that he's not exactly where he's supposed to be...with his son.

"Tim?" he asks in a hoarse whisper, using what little he has left of his energy to stand up on two hind feet. Metal bars are in front of him, indicating a cage.

That's definitely not good, but then he realizes something else soon after.

He'd been gone. _Gone,_ supposedly without any way to return. How did he come back so suddenly? Why does he have his memory again...part of his memory, anyway. He still can't remember _how_ exactly he was transformed into a Pikachu, which frustrates him to no end.

But the last thing he _can_ remember is...is...no...he'd been about to _attack_ his own son again for the second time since shocking him on the hand.

"Tim!" he brings his voice up to a shout, hoping against all hope that he hadn't _hurt_ his own son and that he'll respond, the image of inching forward with both cheeks sparking at the same time refusing to leave his mind. His heart beats rapidly in response, unable to shake the horrible thought away of anything terrible happening to his son _because of him._

The bars are too close together for him to squeeze through. No lock for him to try and pick, either.

He musters all the energy he has, once again calling forth his powers to try and zap the cage into oblivion. He grunts, squeezing his eyes shut in concentration.

"It's no use. They have...other methods to disable our powers for a time, as well. They used it on you while you were asleep," a voice next to him says, probably hearing him try. He glances to the side, but all he sees is a stark metal wall blocking the view of whoever the voice belongs to.

The thought of something being injected into him while he was knocked out greatly disturbs him, but it doesn't come as much of a surprise to know that PCL also has other experiments up their sleeve.

So he can't use his powers for the time being, just like when he had no idea how to use them at all. How perfect, but maybe the Pokémon across from the other side of him knows more about what happened.

"Have you seen a child...young man come into this room at all?" Harry asks, desperate for answers. He inwardly scolds himself for once again thinking of Tim as a child. "I'm not really a Pokémon, he's my—"

To his surprise, the mystery Pokémon answers fairly quickly and he can actually recognize her voice a little.

"You are the boy's father, so you are human like me as well?"

 _Like me,_ Harry repeats the words in his head, his nose twitching. The Pokémon's scent is actually _familiar..._

"Pangoro?" he asks, eyes widening just the slightest.

"I remember our last visit," she says, and Harry wishes he could actually _see_ her as they talk. Now that he knows the truth about her once being human like him, he's happy just to talk with another person in the same situation even if it's not exactly the greatest one. "Thank you for offering to help find my children. And I also remember more."

She remembers the last time they visited and _more?_ How? He thought her memory was gone just like his...nevertheless, he's glad that she hasn't been hurt since the last time they spoke.

A more important matter crosses his mind. If he can't use his electricity, maybe she'll be willing to help him escape by using her strength if the method to disable powers hasn't been used on _her._

"I know where the kids are," he says in a rush, placing both front paws against the metal that blocks them from seeing each other. It's a little foggy, but he can remember finding the cubs with Tim and how they sat in the cage with them.

But he can almost see her shaking her head from the other side of the cage.

"We can't," she says in quick disagreement.

"Don't you want to..." he trails off, already getting an unfortunate idea of where she's going. The suspicion of still being able to use her strength grows.

Pangoro offers him her answer.

"It's useless. I've tried countless times, already...they became fed up and started threatening them, then took them away from me. If I try to escape again..." Harry envisions another head shake and quickly gets the implication of what will happen to the kids if she makes another escape attempt.

Okay. If he can't try escaping now, he might as well ask her a few more important questions that might help with their situation, that could help him remember more about being turned into a Pikachu.

"Can you remember how you were turned into a Pokémon now, too?"

He can hear her shift uneasily in her cramped position. "When I was still human, I was studying to become an assistant to Nurse Joy in a nearby Pokémon Center. I was studying all kinds of Pokémon for research and medical purposes, including rare ones just in case we ever came across one."

Harry listens intently with his full attention, ears twitching. She continues and he hangs on to every word.

"Then one night, I remember hearing a voice inside my head. I couldn't control my own body or my own voice either, like someone was speaking through me. I suddenly found myself here out of nowhere, and the voice told me that I was to live here from now on and help with ongoing experiments, but...in a different form."

Harry's heart skips a beat. Different form...just like _him._

"I suddenly had control of myself again one day and realized what they were doing. I tried to escape, but it was too late and I was transformed into Pangoro. They found out I have a family and took my children away from my husband and our home," she practically growls out. "They don't even bother using that power-draining method on me anymore," she ends in a broken whisper. So his suspicion of her still being able to use her powers is _right._

"I'm sorry," Harry whispers morosely. So PCL had gone after her family just like he had feared they would go after Tim if they knew he was involved in his case. Maybe she had finally regained control of herself once Mewtwo's powers were weakened, as he can somewhat remember meeting the psychic itself with Tim and how weak it had seemed, hardly able to use its own powers.

He focuses his attention back to what she'd said about a voice and not being able to control her own body. It sounds like something a psychic would be capable of doing...especially a _strong_ psychic like Mewtwo that has the power of teleportation and mind control. Unfortunately, her story of being transformed doesn't help him remember anything about being turned into a Pikachu.

 _"Please,"_ he says desperately, even willing to go so far as to beg. "I know you don't want to risk your kids getting hurt. I would never do anything to risk my son getting hurt, either. But maybe if we do this together, we'll have a better chance at getting out of here and back to _normal."_

He makes sure to put emphasis on _normal._

Though he doesn't expect what Pangoro says next.

"I heard screaming hours before you woke up," Pangoro lets him know gently with a touch of sadness at the thought that harm might have been brought to his son.

Tim.

If they've hurt Tim or _worse..._ Harry doesn't know what he'd do, and he's not sure he wants to find out what he's capable of when his son is in danger at the hands of Roger and PCL. He almost wants to go back into his hibernation-like sleep where he was blissfully ignorant to everything around him until he finally managed to come back unexpectedly.

So _how?_ Both he and Pangoro had forgotten who they were, that they were once _human._

"Don't you feel it?" Pangoro asks as if she read his mind like a psychic type, her voice uneasy yet holding a bit of wonder at the same time.

Now that he thinks about it, he does. A strange disturbance in the air, a vibration in the cold metal beneath his paws. He wonders if it's something only Pokémon are able to feel.

His racing heart only continues to pound even _harder._ What has Roger _done?_

"It is said that Mew contains the DNA of all Pokémon," Pangoro goes on. It's no longer a wonder why PCL may have used Mewtwo to force her to come to the lab with her knowledge on rare Pokémon that most have no idea even _exist,_ andprobably not even his own son.

He remembers that detail from his investigation on Mew to see if the recently unearthed remains had anything to do with Howard (and now _Roger's)_ plans for R. So if Mew has somehow returned, and Pangoro heard screaming...and he and Pangoro have just _somehow_ regained their human memories, if only a little...

"And now..." he murmurs, more to himself than Pangoro to finish her sentence about Mew's DNA.

His eyes widen in horror.

  



	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hellooooo. I hope everyone is safe and well! What better time to update than during quarantine?
> 
> I wasn't really happy with how this chapter was turning out, which is why it took a while. I'm still not really happy with it, but oh well. I think things happen way too easily, but then again, the plot has to move forward somehow. It doesn't mean things are going to be this easy from here on out! ;)
> 
> Plus I think we can all relate to Tim and being stuck in containment at this point, so why not give him a break and a little freedom which is also what I think we all want right now, lol. He deserves it after everything that happened xD

The more he thinks it over, the more it makes sense. If Mew can turn invisible, maybe it also has some kind of intangibility power too, like how ghost Pokémon can phase through walls.

All he knows is that he has to get out of here. His pounding head can't be a good sign, but then again, it's also probably not good to be stuck in a water-filled containment chamber for an extended period of time—the same as it isn't good to be stuck as a Pokémon for as long as he has been, either.

Tim thinks harder. Thinking is one of the only things he can do apart from making useless bubbles, so he might as well think as hard as he can with whatever time he has left. Which, based on the way his head hurts so much, can't be a lot now that Roger got him to start using his powers. But he has to admit, being able to turn invisible is pretty cool. If _(when)_ he manages to escape, his invisibility will take care of the problem of being seen by anyone, though he has to remind himself that he can't use any of his powers for too long or the same thing that happened to Harry will happen to him.

He'll turn into a real Pokémon with no memory of who he is, unable to be understood by anyone.

Tim lets out a frustrated cry, but it only comes out as a pathetic, high-pitched squeak that just reminds him of what he's been turned into.

"Mew!"

He pounds as hard as he can on the glass in front of him, but again he doesn't even make a dent. Why couldn't he have been turned into a stronger Pokémon like Machamp or even Pangoro, then he could shatter the glass into a million pieces and never look back.

 _Please...just let me go,_ he whispers into the dark and empty lab. Roger had decided to shut off the lights, so now it's nearly pitch-black except for the faint light directly above him in the chamber. He's never been afraid of the dark. Nope, he never has been and he isn't afraid now that he's trapped and stuck in an entirely different body. It wasn't the reason why he used to sneak into his mom and dad's room way back when, snuggling in between the two so he could feel safe and protected.

His 'words' come out just as expected in a sad little whimper.

"Mew, mew, mew."

He still can't believe that all he's able to say is one, single word. Other Pokémon have more syllables at least, but Mew doesn't have a lot of options and it's just downright _frustrating._

Why would Roger turn him into Mew of all Pokémon? It has to be rare and worth a lot, but why else?

The one most important thing he knows about Mewtwo is that he's the most powerful Pokémon known to mankind. If that's true, he can probably use most, if not _all_ of any move in existence.

Maybe Mew can do the same, especially if it's the first and original version of Mewtwo. That means the other Pokémon is a clone, right? He doesn't exactly have much time to think of the history between Mew and Mewtwo. He just wants to focus on one thing.

His short, pink ears twitch back and forth. Should he really try? Is using his powers really the only way he's going to get out of here?

The silence surrounding him offers the simple answer: _yes._

It's extremely risky, but he's going to have to do this the hard way. He can't just float in the water and wait around for Roger and his Ditto assistants to come back with another needle or something _worse._ The man had said something about a process, and Tim isn't at all eager to find out what that process is. Heck, maybe the process has already begun by Roger forcing him to turn invisible so he'll forget who he is faster.

But he feels fine, at least for now. His headache is even gone, or at least that's what he tries to tell himself, but it's not as bad as it was.

Really. He's _fine._

He figures that maybe he should try turning invisible again as a test, but he has to be very careful about this and not waste any valuable time he has left. He just has to go for it and use the one move that can possibly help him escape.

Taking a deep breath and closing his eyes, Tim concentrates. He creates a bubble just for practice since the bubbles themselves likely aren't a part of his powers, and they _are_ kind of fun and relaxing, not that he'd ever admit that to anyone. He concentrates as hard as he can on one thing and one thing only—getting out.

If he can turn invisible, he can definitely phase through the glass like a Gengar.

He just has to keep _concentrating_ _—_

His voice sounds even more pathetic when he's angry.

"Mew, mew!"

Letting out a gasp through the water, he makes another bubble and pops it with his paw for good measure out of his frustration.

Why isn't it working?! Of course now when he wants to try using his powers, they don't want to cooperate. Maybe his powers will only activate if he's afraid as Roger has already shown him by forcing him to turn invisible, but he's not going to wait around for the mad scientist to come back again and again, forcing him to use his powers until he forgets who he is.

 _Mewtwo?_ he tries instead. If the powerful Pokémon was able to communicate with him through his mind and with the pressure that led him to the other containment chamber that he was trapped in, then maybe Mewtwo can hear him now.

Maybe the Pokémon can help somehow, even if it's most likely not possible with the way the scientists had surrounded them all and took Pikachu away, hiding his father somewhere in the lab. They're probably doing something even _worse_ to Mewtwo. Something horrible that he can't even begin to comprehend. What if they're doing the same to Harry? Oh Arceus, he can't imagine his father being put through the same torture, even if Harry doesn't exactly have his mind right now.

 _Mewtwo, please,_ Tim tries again anyway. _You're my only hope._

No answer. Tim doesn't even feel the strange pressure in his head, and the lab is just as silent as it was when he first woke up in the chamber. Maybe it's a better idea not to ask Mewtwo for any help. Humans have done the poor Pokémon more harm than good, just as Roger is doing to him. Why would Mewtwo want to help a former human, even if the psychic is supposedly on their side?

He has to do this on his own. He has to put aside his fear of using his powers and losing himself faster than he would if he just remains stuck in here for the rest of his life.

Desperation taking over and squeezing his eyes shut, he pictures his nice and quiet hometown where nothing ever really happens; what he's been used to his entire life until now. He misses the nice and quiet, not the hustle and bustle of Ryme City. He thinks of his father and wherever the Ditto scientists had taken him, wondering if he should believe Mewtwo about being able to bring his mind back, or if Roger was actually telling the truth and Harry really _can't_ be brought back because he was transformed into a Pokémon without the neural link, just the same as his son has been now. Faintly, he wonders if Roger has turned anyone into a Pokémon using the neural link method and what exactly that means. He can't even begin to process what goes on in a lunatic's head.

He pictures his grandma, alone and worried about where he is. If he's ever going to come back, if she's ever going to find out what happened to him.

If only he could just go _home_ _—_

The flash of bright, white light from behind his closed eyes takes him by surprise. He doesn't feel like he's underwater anymore, his fur slowly starting to dry off.

Did it work...? Only one way to find out. Taking another deep breath, he peeks one eye open.

He's in...his room?

It can't be. He peeks open another eye for confirmation, and his heart almost stops at the unexpected but welcome sight.

He's in his room. His _original_ room, not the one that Harry had recreated for him. His beautiful, stark and bare room that doesn't have anything at all to do with Pokémon.

It can't have been that easy the whole time, but apparently it _was._

He's back home, back in Leaventown just like he imagined. The white flash could only mean one thing.

Not only can he turn invisible, he can also _teleport._

He teleported right out of the containment chamber, he's out, he's free—

In all of his shock, he accidentally knocks over a picture on top of his dresser. He's not exactly sure how he even managed to knock the picture over; isn't he a really short Pokémon now? How can he even _reach_ the top of the dresser? Turning around wildly, he attempts to put the picture of his mother back where it belongs, only to be interrupted by the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs and a voice calling out for him.

"Tim? Tim, is that you?" he hears his grandma ask frantically and in a voice so worried that it makes his heart hurt.

Holding his breath and thinking immediately of turning invisible, he remains hidden in the corner, hardly daring to move an inch even though she can't exactly see him. He's pretty sure she can't, anyway...she doesn't look surprised at all that there's a strange and pink Pokémon in her grandson's room.

"I could have sworn I heard something up here," she mumbles to herself as she takes in the empty room, realizing that apparently no one is inside like she thought. She notices the picture of his mother that he'd knocked over, moving towards the dresser to put it back up. Tim moves away towards his window in case he brushes up against her by accident; the last thing he wants to do is scare her half to death.

Moving back to the door, she hesitates and glances around sorrowfully. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. He said he'd be back a little later, but he's not here yet. They said not to worry, but where is he?"

Much to Tim's distress, the corners of her eyes start to become wet with tears. "I lost you both, I can't lose him, too."

They? Has she called the police in Ryme City already, and they told her not to worry about him? Why is he not surprised...

He blinks. She just said 'both.' She still thinks Harry passed on in a terrible car wreck and now she's worried about losing her grandson, too. No matter how much he wants to reach out and comfort her, he knows he can't; not when she's not even going to recognize him in the form he's stuck in now. He's right _there,_ but she doesn't even know. The temptation to go to her and wrap her up into a big hug is almost overwhelming, but he can't.

Not while he's a _Pokémon._ When he's back to normal, it's one of the first things he'll do.

His grandma sighs, taking one last look around the room. "So much has changed. Our little boy has changed so much. He's all grown up now."

In a sad way, his grandma talking to the picture of his mother reminds him of the night when he'd caught Harry doing the same thing. Unfortunately, he doesn't have any pictures of the human version of his father in his room. He can clearly remember putting them all away somewhere that he's forgotten by now.

Sighing again, his grandma leaves the room, closing the door behind her.

Tim sucks in a breath, taken aback by her statement. Taking a closer look at his room, his _original_ room that he grew up in without his father, he finds that she's right. He really has changed in more ways than one. His room here at home is a big difference compared to the room that Harry had created in Ryme City now that he's seen it himself, completely void of anything Pokémon-related.

No posters, no cards, and more importantly, no Pikachu ears on his bed.

It's just a room that belongs to someone who had completely forgotten all about his childhood and his dreams of becoming a trainer. Yet how ironic that he's now here as a Pokémon, himself...

His bed. The last time he slept in a bed was when he'd gotten sick and Harry had allowed him to sleep in his room only the one time. Just looking at the bed makes him even more tired than he already is, but sleep is the last thing on his mind. He can't even begin to consider resting until he's back to normal—until _everyone_ is back to normal, preferably with Roger and Howard Clifford both behind bars where they can never turn anyone into Pokémon again.

Feeling a chill behind him, he turns to find that he's backed up against his open bedroom window, not even realizing how close he moved towards it while trying to avoid his grandma, a weird sensation suddenly overtaking him. He honestly hadn't noticed that whole time since he teleported here, but his heart nearly stops when he looks down, his pink feet absolutely nowhere near the bedroom floor.

Wait. _What?_

Squeaking and tiny arms flailing, he takes a step back in the air and suddenly he's free falling right out of the window, the ground catching up way too fast—

He's dead. He's dead, he knows it. But if he's still breathing, how can he be dead?

Sliding his paws down his face, he braves the unknown and looks down.

He's floating. _Floating_ just above the diveway. Good thing it's night so almost everyone is asleep by now and they won't see him, so he doesn't have to use invisibility at the moment. He has to use his powers as little as possible to avoid any unwanted side effects.

Bringing his paws up to his mouth, he lets out an almost-manic giggle.

 _You've gotta be kidding me,_ he thinks, both impressed and not impressed at the same time if it's even possible.

He can turn invisible whenever he wants. All he had to do that entire time was just picture _home,_ and he found himself here just like he wanted.

Now he can float. Mew can _float._ He doesn't know what he was expecting once he broke out of the chamber, but it certainly wasn't _floating._

Does the fact that Mew can float also mean that he can... _fly?_

Is there anything Mew can't do?

Staring up at the night sky, he wills himself to move up towards the direction of the stars that can be more easily seen in his hometown unlike the city.

Nothing happens.

He thinks of the top of his roof, and that same bright white flashes in front of him until he indeed finds himself floating just over the top of the roof. Rolling his eyes, he lets out a frustrated sigh.

No, he doesn't want to teleport. He imagines taking off from the roof itself, preparing himself for the physical action.

He just wants to—

He doesn't know what he was expecting, but it certainly hadn't been to actually and literally _fly_ off the roof!

He's flying, he's really and truly _flying_ over his neighborhood! He can even see the field where he and Jack tried to catch the Cubone. At first he feels a jolt of panic and a wave of nausea, but the more he stabilizes himself in the air, the more the dizziness begins to fade away and amazement takes its place, instead.

For the first time since he traveled to Ryme City by train to say goodbye to his father, only to find out that Harry had been turned into a Pikachu...he feels _free._ He can do anything he wants, and he wouldn't put that past Mew as his powers have already shown, swirling around in a few circles just to test out his limits, which there doesn't seem to be any. He breathes in the cool air, relief filtering through him that he's not just unnaturally breathing in water. It just feels so _nice_ to finally be outside, to be breathing real air...

He brings himself back to the situation at hand.

Cutting his freedom short and quickly remembering what he set out to do in the first place, Tim thinks of Ryme City while simultaneously making sure he's invisible so no one will see him. He really shouldn't overdo it, but he _has_ to. He can't allow anyone to see him in the city and send him to another lab. He might as well practice while he has time, too. He doubts Roger is going to let him get away with this so easily. He might send Pokémon after him like the Ditto assistants, and he has to be ready for a likely battle.

Battling with his father while he's a Pikachu is one thing, but actually battling as a Pokémon himself? Tim can't even imagine what it was like for Harry, let alone what it would be like for him as a _Mew._

He focuses his attention back on thinking of Ryme City where he desperately wants to get back to now that he has somewhat of a handle on his powers.

White flashes from behind his eyes again, and he opens them to look below his feet now dangling in the air above skyscrapers and city traffic. He should probably be freaking out right about now, but all he feels is freedom and happiness, glad that he'd taken a risk to use his powers. It was all worth it in the end.

Maybe being turned into a Mew isn't such a bad thing, after all.

 _Thank you, Roger,_ he thinks with a snort and a sly grin.

Score one for Tim Goodman.

He's already back in the city by just a single thought alone. Breathing in and out slowly, he double checks to make sure that his headache hasn't come back.

He still feels fine. He doesn't feel too weird except for the fact that he's floating above Ryme City, continuing to breathe in deeply to keep himself calm.

The most important question now that he finally escaped crosses his mind: should he try looking for his father in the lab? Where would they even take Pikachu? Most likely somewhere deep inside, and Tim knows he can't go back when he just got out.

It's exactly what Roger wants. He'll only end up being captured again with his inexperience, and _that_ is certainly not a risk he's willing to take. He doesn't know what Roger is going to do when he finally notices he's gone, but Tim is sure that his reaction isn't going to be pretty. He hopes the crazed man won't take his anger out on Harry or any of the other Pokémon like Pangoro or even the cubs.

Tim gazes back towards the direction of the lab in the middle of nowhere, resisting the urge to fly or teleport back right away. He won't be of any help to anyone if he gets captured again.

 _I'll come back for you, Dad. I promise,_ he whispers softly into the night sky.

"Mew." He doesn't have it in him to sigh in frustration at his Pokémon voice.

Now he just has to _get help,_ soaring as fast as he can with the wind whipping the pink fur on his face, baffled at how quick he's getting the hang of flying even though he doubts it's actually his own skill. It's probably just because of Mew.

He might be small. He might be pink and furry, but Roger made a big mistake turning him into one of the most powerful Pokémon ever and the crazy scientist is going to _pay._

He has to hurry.

Destination: Ryme City Police Department.

He's not going to just close his eyes and teleport inside, which would most likely give the poor man a heart attack. He has to think this through _carefully_ so Yoshida will believe him and send help back to the lab. If Mew can do all those other awesome things like teleport, fly and turn invisible, then surely it has some other cool powers up its sleeve that he can use so Yoshida will understand. He just needs to figure them out and _fast_ which shouldn't be too hard to do, considering he's already figured out how to teleport and fly.

His father hadn't had any luck convincing the man while stuck as a Pokémon, but maybe _he_ will.

[](https://www.hitwebcounter.com)   
  



	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was going to be longer, but then I think it would have been too long so I decided to split them.

There isn't much to do in a cage besides sleep, but Harry refuses to give in even if his coffee-deprived mind is slowly losing the battle to stay awake, blinking his eyes rapidly every so often.

Feeling the top of his head, he realizes with dismay that his hat is missing and has been the whole time since he woke up in the cage.

Probably confiscated. Too bad...he hopes that _when_ he gets out, he'll be able to find it. But he's the world's greatest detective, of _course_ he'll be able to find his hat of all things. The easiest case he'll ever solve, unlike his own where he'd been turned into a Pikachu.

Pangoro had stopped talking, refusing to give in to the idea of breaking out of her cage and then freeing _him_ as well in order to protect her kids. Harry can't really blame her; if he was in her position and Roger was threatening Tim to get him to cooperate, then he'd probably do the same.

Tim.

Harry gulps, the corners of his eyes shining, but he refuses to let the tears fall.

 _A detective doesn't cry,_ he repeats over and over in his head.

The last time he saw Tim, he'd been growling and nearly shocked his son into oblivion. Everything after that is fuzzy (no pun intended given his fur, but he's sure Tim would appreciate a good dad joke right about now) But the more he concentrates on his memories, the more he finds he doesn't exactly _want_ to remember, especially the part when the scientists had surrounded them and separated him from Tim. The next thing he knew, he'd woken up in this cage with little chance of escape.

He blinks rapidly again in yet another attempt to ward off the weariness of the last few days (or has it been weeks? He honestly can't remember. The days are just starting to blur closer and closer together...)

He's just about ready to scream at Pangoro to just _try_ and break out—

_Slam._

His ears perk straight up at the sudden and sharp noise, and he glances towards the door to see it opening and then slamming shut. A scientist wearing a white lab coat and a mask comes into the small room, what appears to be a Psyduck waddling just in front so it can't escape. It must be Lucy's Psyduck; where else could it have come from? The yellow and beaked Pokémon isn't very fast anyway, but Harry can understand why the scientist is still keeping a close eye on it, what with its untrustworthy and explosive powers.

The scientist reaches for a lanyard around his neck, taking hold of some kind of card. Harry watches intently as the scientist bends down to open his cage, swiping the card in a slot attached to the side of the cage.

Hmm...so it's an automatic kind of cage that needs the scientist's card, and Harry has a bad feeling he isn't going to be able to nab the card anytime soon if Pangoro isn't going to cooperate with him and use her strength to break out.

Straining, Harry musters all the strength he has despite his tiredness, attempting to try and shock the scientist as the man pushes the Psyduck inside, but he realizes with dismay that his electricity still isn't working thanks to whatever he'd been injected with that had disabled his powers as Pangoro told him. How wonderful...now he's just as useless as when Tim found him and he had no idea how to use his powers yet. He's back to square one.

But is it even a good idea to try using his powers again? What if he loses his memory a second time? He'd rather take a chance and escape than stay here and do _nothing._

Without a word, the masked scientist slams the cage door shut, leaving Psyduck inside with him.

Great. Now he's stuck in a cage with a ticking time bomb. He can only hope that Psyduck's powers have been disabled with the same injection that's stopping him from using his own.

The first thing he notices about the Psyduck isn't how unnaturally quiet it seems as it continues to stare at him with wide, unblinking eyes. His attention is focused solely on the strange headband thing on the top of its yellow head.

The Psyduck only stands still and stares at him, its eyes growing wider by the second.

Harry can only hope that it isn't on the verge of exploding inside the cage. What good are Psyduck's powers if the _both_ of them explode before they can escape?! Maybe the injection also prevents explosive headaches, if Psyduck was even injected with the power-disabling stuff as well.

"Harry? You're Harry Goodman?" the Psyduck gets out at last.

How does it even suspect that he's Harry? Because it was working on the case with Lucy? But even though the reporter had gotten a head start on the case, she hadn't gotten anywhere near guessing that Harry Goodman had been turned into a Pokémon.

He's not sure if he should actually answer that, but he decides to anyway and he's not sure if he's going to regret it.

Except he doesn't have to answer at all, his silence apparently enough confirmation for the other Pokémon to wrap him up into a big, awkward hug.

"I knew there was something fishy going on!" the Psyduck nearly screeches. "So you were really with us that whole time! Why didn't Tim tell me? Does he even know?"

"Can't...breathe," he manages to get out the best that he can while trapped in the Psyduck's grip.

"Oh! Sorry!"

To his relief, Psyduck puts him back down.

"This is amazing! All that research and snooping around with Psyduck finally paid off! Car crash? I didn't think so!"

It takes Harry a moment longer than he usually processes things to comprehend what she just said about 'her' Pokémon.

Except the Pokémon in front of him is exactly that—a Pokémon.

Right?

His detective instinct is telling him otherwise, to try and get to the bottom of this.

"What do you mean 'with' Psyduck? You _are_ a Psyduck."

It shakes its head in disagreement.

"It's me," the Psyduck chirps in its high-pitched voice. "I was turned into a Pokémon just like you were."

Now that Harry thinks about it, the Psyduck's voice does sound a bit familiar...

His eyes widen in recognition, and he takes a step back to get a better look. No _wonder_ Tim hadn't recognized his voice back when he first started talking to his son in the apartment; the first thing you think isn't that someone you know has been turned into a Pokémon.

It's his turn to ask the Psyduck the same question that it asked him.

"Wait. You're Lucy?"

Lucy nods maybe a little too brightly; he can't imagine how she's so excited while stuck in the body of a yellow Pokémon with a beak.

Oh, Tim is not going to be happy about this.

"How did you know it was me?" he has to ask. She's an _excellent_ reporter that had been closer to finding out what happened to him than anyone else had been, but it's still a bit of a stretch that she would figure out he's Pikachu all of a sudden.

"Your name is on the cage. Well, not your whole name, just your initials and some numbers alongside it," she says, reaching a feathered hand out to tap the cage bars. "I knew it had to be you!"

Despite himself, Harry smiles. Now someone other than his son knows the full truth about what happened to him and what he was turned into, someone who can vouch for Tim so no one will think he's crazy when he tries to explain everything to the police. That is, if one or both of them gets back to normal somehow. Preferably both. When this is all over, Tim had _better_ hold onto her.

He brings himself back to the situation at hand and what Lucy just said about his cage.

So not his whole name; probably to prevent the humans-turned-Pokémon from remembering who they are if they see the nameplate as they come in. But it seems that Lucy can remember who she is just fine...

"You can remember who you are?" he asks, just to double check. "And how you were turned into a Pokémon?"

She nods, though she seems confused why he asked. "Of course. Is there a reason why I wouldn't?"

"I'm not sure," Harry murmurs, more to himself than Lucy. He glances at the metal wall that blocks them from seeing the quiet occupant on the other side. "Pangoro lost her memory first and then the same thing happened to me later on, but only temporarily. We both just recently regained our memories of who we are for some reason. You never lost your memory?"

It was just too good to be true that both his and Pangoro's memories had suddenly returned. How is the question...

There has to be a _reason..._

Lucy shakes her head. "I remember who I am and how I was turned into a Pokémon."

Harry looks up again at the strange device on Psyd-Lucy's head (it's going to take a while to get used to that)

He points to the device. Whatever it is, it can't be anything good. "Did it have something to do with that thing?"

Lucy's eyes glance up, trying to get a good view of the device and failing miserably.

"I think so, but I'm not sure..."

"What do you mean?" Harry asks. The large, black and white Pokémon has been silent since Lucy came in, but even if she won't help them escape, he hopes Pangoro is listening, at least.

Lucy herself becomes quiet for a moment as she thinks back to when she was turned into the same kind of Pokémon as her own partner. Straining hard to think, she lifts both hands up to her head, her eyes closing in distress like a real Psyduck.

Just before Harry can ask if she's alright, she manages to snap herself out of it.

"There was this strange Pokémon I've never seen before, at least not in person until now. It looked really tired and out of it, but one of the scientists started hurting it until it started to cooperate and then it lifted a hand towards Psyduck and I. There was a white glowing light and the next thing I knew, I _was_ Psyduck."

"The Pokémon you saw had to have been Mewtwo. I saw a video about him and we also met him in person." Harry shudders, his tail wiggling behind him. It's still blurry, but he can somewhat recall meeting Mewtwo with Tim. Mewtwo even talked to them, telling him that he wasn't angry at him and that he did his best. The last thing Harry truly remembers about Mewtwo is that he's dangerous, but maybe PCL is wrong. If not for his recent meeting with the psychic, Harry would still assume he was dangerous. But Mewtwo wouldn't hurt Lucy and Psyduck like that on purpose. PCL is forcing him to do something that has to do with turning humans into Pokémon.

Of course they are; why should he believe anything they say after everything they've done to him and his son? Mewtwo had been trying to tell them something, something _important_ and then the scientists had surrounded them, taking Tim away from him—

Lucy blinks once, obviously just as confused as him. "I've done a little research on Mewtwo, but not much. Hardly anyone has ever seen him, let alone catch him. So _Mewtwo_ is the one turning us all into Pokémon! I think he merged me with Psyduck!"

Harry places a paw underneath his chin to help him think. If only he could have a cup of coffee right now...

"He might have merged you with Psyduck, but only because PCL forced him to."

"Ohhhh," Lucy lets out slowly, her yellow face scrunching in thought. "Poor Mewtwo...that's awful."

As much as he doesn't want to admit it, his gut is telling him otherwise. He's not sure about Pangoro, but something is trying to tell him that he wasn't transformed the same way as her, and definitely not the same way as Lucy. He's not wearing anything like that thing on his head, not even his own detective hat.

"The video also said something about a neural link and non-neural link method. I think you're wearing the neural link," Harry continues, pacing slowly back and forth across the cage.

"Well, whatever it is, I can't get it off!" Lucy informs him, reaching up to pull at the neural link to no avail. It's stuck tight, and Harry doesn't want to think about just _how_ Roger and his father had managed to create a device that won't come off easily.

"The head scientist said something about testing just before Mewtwo merged me with Psyduck. I think they're trying to test this headband thing so they can make more and force them on everyone in the city!"

Harry doesn't entirely agree. It would take a lot of effort either way to change _everyone_ in the city into Pokémon no matter what method they used, but Harry can feel that he and Lucy are getting closer to the truth the more they put their heads together. If only Tim were here...the three of them combined would make one hell of a team.

He tosses possibly the most important question out there. "But why would they come up with _two_ ways to be turned into Pokémon?"

Even though his tired mind is on the brink of collapse without just one sip of coffee, it offers the answer that Lucy had just unknowingly provided moments ago about being able to remember who she is and what happened to her.

_Lucy didn't forget who she was. She didn't forget how she was turned into Psyduck._

His eyes widen. "I think they're trying to use the neural link to find a way to not forget anything in the Non-Neural Link method! There aren't as many side effects with the neural link!"

"Makes sense," Lucy agrees, trying once more to pull off the neural link without any success. "So if we're transformed into a normal Pokémon using the Non-Neural Link method, we lose our memory, but if we're merged with our partners _with_ this creepy little headband, we can still remember everything and who we are."

It makes sense to Harry, too, even though it still doesn't really explain why he and Pangoro eventually regained their memories so unexpectedly. He's not sure if Howard and Roger know that humans will remember who they were at some point, but he has a feeling that they don't. Why else would they create the neural link with fewer side effects?

"Maybe the Neural Link method isn't permanent like Non-Neural Link method and they're trying to find a way to _make_ it permanent like the other method. They want to be Pokémon for life, but they also want to remember who they are. The only way to do that is by merging us with our Pokémon."

First it was just humans being turned into Pokémon. Now Roger is _merging_ humans and their Pokémon together into one? The first option wasn't enough?

Lucy waves her feathered arms frantically. "I hope not! I don't want to be Psyduck forever! No offense, Psyduck," she adds, looking down at her belly like her Pokémon partner is trapped inside. In a disturbing way, he kind of is...Lucy and Psyduck had been merged together. She hadn't just been turned into a Pokémon, she's _one_ with her partner now.

Harry can recall a bit of the flashback that Mewtwo had shown him and his son. Not a lot, but just enough to know that the reason he couldn't remember having a partner or not was because he never _did_ have one in the first place.

He was transformed completely into a Pikachu. Like son, like father...he never had a Pokémon partner to call his own.

He's just a Pikachu.

"We need to get out of here," Harry states the obvious for what feels like the hundredth time. He hopes that this time, his pleas won't fall on deaf ears. He turns to the side of the cage, hoping Pangoro will answer. "How long until I can use my powers again?"

It isn't _fair._ Pangoro had told him that the scientists don't even bother to use the stuff on her since they use the threats to harm her kids to get her to cooperate. He'd do the same if it were Tim, but still...they have to get _out._

Harry fears for a moment that Pangoro isn't going to respond again before she answers. "It depends on each Pokémon, but usually an hour or two. Just enough time for them to do whatever they need to us."

Harry isn't sure how long it's been since waking up in the cage, but his powers still feel like they've been ripped out of him. For once, he wishes that Lucy-Psyduck could use her psychic powers to make the cage explode into smithereens. Then again, that might not be the best idea.

"I've tried to use my powers already, but it wouldn't work," Lucy says as if she read his mind.

He sighs, his ears drooping. Looks like the scientists didn't even have to try and disable her powers when she doesn't even know how to use them yet.

"I couldn't use mine either until I had no other choice."

Lucy tilts her head to the side in question just like Psyduck will whenever the Pokémon becomes confused, but she doesn't push him to elaborate on that. He'd rather not relive when he had to force himself to use his electricity in order to protect Tim from a raging Charizard.

The door suddenly slams open again, startling him out of his thinking. The same masked scientist that had brought Lucy in is back, and he doesn't seem too happy behind the mask.

The scientist points sharply at Pangoro.

"I don't know how, but you had something to do with Mew escaping."

Harry takes a step back.

So he was right. With all of his experiments, Roger had figured out a way to bring one of the rarest Pokémon of all back to life. First turning people into Pokémon and now bringing back Ancient Mew...just how far will Roger and Howard go to achieve their goals?

He can hear Pangoro shift uneasily in her cage, letting out a low whimper to keep up the act of a normal Pangoro. Harry does his best to keep acting like a normal Pikachu, as well. They can't have anyone suspecting that they've somehow regained their memories.

"You told it something that helped it escape," the scientist goes on. "You got out of your cage since we don't bother trying to stop you from using your powers anymore and did something to the chamber that helped it escape. Master isn't very happy."

Harry freezes.

 _Master?_ Why would a human call Roger master just like the Greninja had called Howard master? Why is the human even talking to Pangoro like it can _understand_ the Pokémon?

He should have known.

He can remember warning Tim about it being better not knowing what Ditto can do, but it can't be. He'd rather be stuck with an explosive time bomb than a creepy morphing pink blob. They were just as bad as when he'd still been human and had first brought Mewtwo to them, but now they're just as bad if not _worse._ He should have just told Tim about the Ditto. Just another failure as a father to protect his son. Who knows where the Ditto-scientists took Tim?

Pangoro doesn't respond, which only seems to further anger the masked 'scientist.' Harry knows the truth. She hasn't done anything. She's been with him the whole time, but the scientist isn't having any of it. In his crazed mind, Pangoro is to blame for Mew's escape.

"All I know is you did _something_ and it's time to say bye bye to this pathetic little runt."

The scientist nods towards the door, and another comes in with one of the Pancham cubs held tightly by the scruff of its neck. The smallest Pancham, Harry realizes with horror.

It struggles, whining and letting out heartbreaking wails, reaching towards its mother. Harry concentrates, willing his powers to break free and zap both scientists before they even know what hit them, but they still just aren't _working!_

"If you stay on your best behavior from now on, I might just spare the other two," the first scientist says, taking the small cub roughly from the other scientist into his own hands. "But as for this little runt..."

The angry roar from Pangoro and the sound of her metal cage smashing open is all Harry needs to know that they're one step closer to getting out of here...

And one step closer to finding Tim.

[](https://www.hitwebcounter.com)  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is the plot even making any sense at this point? xD


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe it's been a year today when Detective Pikachu came out! I thought this chapter would be perfect to celebrate ;)
> 
> Also, this story is turning a year old in July. Time flies...

Sneaking into the police department wasn't too difficult. All he had to do was picture Yoshida's office in his mind and then _poof!_ he found himself inside.

Now all he has to do is stay invisible so no one sees him but then again, he still doesn't want to risk losing his memory faster. The pounding in his head is warning enough that memory loss is still possible, that he needs to be extra careful and avoid using his powers for an extended period of time.

But what other choice is there?

Sighing and giving into his worries, he allows himself to materialize once he's sure that no one is coming down the hallway inside the building to the office.

It hasn't been too long since he was last here. He can hardly believe that he'd gone from coming to Ryme City to say goodbye to his supposedly deceased father who had died in a car 'accident' to becoming involved in a full-blown investigation about his father still being alive _with_ his father who had been turned into a Pikachu, and then getting turned into a Pokémon himself.

He's not exactly sure what he's going to do once Yoshida comes inside or how he's going to get the man's attention without freaking him out. Maybe he can type on the laptop, but it isn't anywhere to be found. Probably with Yoshida. All Tim knows is that he has to find a good hiding spot and fast before anyone notices an extremely rare Pokémon floating around—

"What are you doing in here?!"

Tim halts in midair. He should have been more careful, he should have stayed invisible even if it meant more of a risk of losing his memory faster. He just made it into the lieutenant's office, all he had to do was stay hidden and figure out what to do next until Yoshida finally came in.

But no, he just had to get caught. He braces himself and turns around, his ears perking up and eyes growing wider by the second.

 _Not again,_ his mind reels. _Not again, not again, not again..._

He would have rather been caught by an actual officer, not the Pokémon lurking in the doorway.

"I can understand you?" he asks anyway just to be sure.

Snubbull huffs, annoyed. "You're a Pokémon, of course you can understand me."

"Right, right, of course," Tim groans. He's a Pokémon now himself, of course he'd be able to understand other Pokémon.

He honestly shouldn't be surprised, but then again he shouldn't be so hard on himself. He was able to understand his father, but only because of that reason—because they're father and son. He wasn't able to understand any other Pokémon at all except Mewtwo, but that was only because of the Pokémon's psychic powers.

"What are you?" Snubbull asks. He seems genuinely curious underneath his gruff demeanor. "I've never seen a Pokémon like you before, and I know every Pokémon in this city."

Again, Tim shouldn't be surprised. Snubbull's partner is Lieutenant Yoshida, after all. They probably go everywhere together and meet everyone together. He can't help the small twinge of envy at the thought of a partner he never had, himself.

The dog Pokémon inches closer and for a second, Tim is afraid he'll alert the police. He sighs in relief when all he does is sniff the air, his nose wiggling wildly.

Tim is unprepared for Snubbull's next question, albeit a little impressed. He's only met the Pokémon one other time when he first arrived in Ryme City to get the keys to his father's apartment from Yoshida.

"Why is your scent so familiar? Your voice sounds familiar, too."

He stays quiet. He doesn't have to answer that...right?

Snubbull stares hard, waiting for an answer. Tim stares just as hard right back, accepting the staring contest challenge. If he didn't have more important matters to worry about, he'd ask the Pokémon why he seemed so angry at him when they first met.

Tim hardly notices the bright, white light that suddenly surrounds his vision.

Snubbull blinks rapidly, seeming confused and backing away in alarm until he runs out of the office.

His focus broken, Tim looks on in confusion at why Snubbull had left so fast.

He barely has any time to react or more importantly try to _hide_ when a familiar shape comes walking down the other direction of the hallway.

Except Yoshida doesn't even seem to be alarmed at the fact that a rare Pokémon is currently inside his office as he enters. Instead, he reaches down to pat him on the head.

Tim pulls away instinctively, shaking his head and looking up at the man.

"I just have some more paperwork to finish and then we'll head home, alright Snubbull?" Yoshida says to him.

_Him._

Wait a second. Didn't Snubbull just leave?

Taking a chance, he stares down at his paws just like he'd done after waking up.

His paws are still pink, but his body seems...different. It _feels_ very different.

It hits him that maybe this is another one of Mew's many powers.

He can...change forms? Can he change into any Pokémon he wants? Even other rare and legendary Pokémon? Does that mean he can use any _move_ he wants?

Breathing rapidly, he dives underneath Yoshida's desk and tries to pull himself together.

This is just too crazy. Roger was right—Mew is powerful, maybe _too_ powerful and even more powerful than Mewtwo. Its powers are far beyond anything he could have imagined. He could have a lot of fun with the power of changing into any Pokémon, but this is no time for games.

He changes into the first Pokémon he can think of that will help him convince the lieutenant that something is still wrong at the lab. His body becomes short.

Short and yellow, small and fluffy.

The sensation of his body changing is far too weird to describe, but at least it's a quick process and he finishes the transformation in time before Yoshida sits down. He manages to use the empty chair to jump up onto the desk so he can face the lieutenant.

"Pikachu," Yoshida says as he sits down, a bit of annoyance coming into his voice. From the time Harry tried to convince him about what happened to Tim bringing him in the office after the battle with Charizard, this is the man's 'third' time encountering the electric mouse. "How did you get in here again?"

"Pika!" Tim tries his best not to sound too surprised by his new voice. So along with changing forms, he can also sound like whatever Pokémon he turns into. "Pika, pika! Pika pi! Pikachu!"

He suddenly understands why it had been so hard for Harry to get Yoshida's attention, his frantic cries not even seeming to waver the man at all. Yoshida goes back to his papers, as if hoping that ignoring the mouse will make him go away.

Fat chance. The papers actually give him a better idea, and he steals one right under the lieutenant's nose.

Yoshida drops the pen he'd been using.

"Hey!"

Taking the pen into his own paw, Tim writes as fast as he can, not even caring how messy his words come out.

_It's me, Harry. I tried telling you before, but I was changed into a Pikachu at PCL and others are still there. We need your help, you have to come with me!_

He holds up the paper to Yoshida, nearly shoving it in his face. The lieutenant holds it up in a better position so he can read it, his eyes widening soon after. Tim can only hope that Yoshida doesn't try to look closer to see if it really is Harry's handwriting.

Yoshida's eyes widen, glancing at the paper and then back down at him.

It's finally sinking in that maybe Harry's son was on to something when he brought up the possibility of Harry being turned into a Pikachu.

"Harry? Is it really you?" Yoshida asks softly, staring down at him again with new eyes finally capable of comprehending the truth.

It's not, but Tim nods enthusiastically anyway. This might just be working, Yoshida is finally getting it, he actually believes that the 'Pikachu' in front of him is actually Harry!

"Pika!" Tim cries, waving his paws in the air wildly. He leaps off of the desk and rushes on all fours out of the office, stopping at the doorway to look back at Yoshida and then continuing to run as fast as he can down the hallway.

Scurrying from behind him indicates that Snubbull hadn't really left; he'd actually been listening in the entire time, catching up next to him quickly.

"So that Pikachu really wasn't crazy," Snubbull says as they run in sync together on their way out of the building. "I thought his voice sounded familiar, too."

Tim doesn't dare look behind him, but he can hear the sound of multiple footsteps of more officers joining in on the chase.

"Oh, he's still crazy," Tim can't help but answer with a bit of fondness. He never imagined he'd grow just a little closer to his estranged father while solving his own mystery.

Snubbull lets out an amused snort. "How do you think he got the title 'Legend?'"

Despite the situation, Tim laughs as he keeps running; it helps distract him from the chase going on just behind them. It's the perfect title, no doubt about that. He hadn't expected he'd get a bit of backstory about his father from Yoshida's partner.

"He's my father," Tim continues, almost out of breath. It's getting harder to ignore the sharp pounding in his head, a sure sign that he's using his powers way too much, but he has to keep going. He can't stop now when they're so close to getting help to the lab! "I was turned into a Pokémon just like he was. We have to get him out of PCL! He's not the only one still stuck there, either."

He can't forget about Lucy and Psyduck or Pangoro and her cubs, not to mention the Pokémon who were experimented on—including Mewtwo.

Snubbull nods, and though he seems confused by the concept of a human transforming into a Pokémon, he finally understands how serious the situation really is and that they need to get Yoshida and the police to follow them.

It doesn't matter if Harry still doesn't remember who he is. It doesn't matter if he may never get his memory back, but Tim isn't going to just leave him in that horrible place.

"Block the doors!" Yoshida shouts from close behind them as they reach the lobby.

Extra officers stand in front of the glass revolving doors, determined not to let them escape, but Tim has other ideas. If he can teleport himself, maybe he can also teleport with other humans or even Pokémon. He's starting to learn not to doubt the extent of Mew's powers.

"Sorry about this," he apologizes to Snubbull as he grabs the Pokémon with his yellow paws and thinks of the outside of the department. White light surrounds them both and seconds later, they find themselves right in front. The officers behind them balk, stopping for just a second in absolute shock that the two of them had disappeared so fast and then again on the other side of the doors, just as surprised that a 'Pikachu' of all Pokémon suddenly has teleportation powers.

Snubbull shakes himself in surprise, and Tim lets go of the dog so he can concentrate on his next form.

Instinct tells him that they need to go up into the sky where no one can reach them and they can _follow._

He imagines the first flying Pokémon he can think of even if it's a risk changing in front of others. It's fine as long as no one sees his true, rare form...the next best thing after invisibility.

The lieutenant stops running, out of breath and his eyes widening as Tim finishes his transformation from Pikachu into a _Pidgeot_ and realizing that something is very wrong, that maybe the Pikachu hadn't really been Harry after all.

"Snubbull!" Yoshida shouts from behind, but his partner blatantly ignores him. Snubbull has no intention of returning to his partner, instead choosing to rush towards Pidgeot and leap onto the bird's back.

Tim grins and bends down, not wasting a second more and taking off into the sky with a loud screech. Stopping for a moment, he glances back at Yoshida.

The lieutenant seems to finally get it, turning around to face the other officers and nodding at their police cars parked out front.

He points to the brightening sky towards the bird.

"Follow that Pidgeot!"

Tim would have let out another screech in victory if only he wasn't starting to feel so _tired..._

xxxx

Pangoro snorts at the two scientists knocked out on the ground. Well, one of which is now a pink, goopy puddle much to Harry's delight. He still can't believe that Howard and Roger managed to create Ditto that are able to change into humans, capable of walking and even _talking_ just like them.

Psyduck (no, _Lucy)_ stares with wide eyes at what Pangoro's strength had just accomplished, at a loss for words.

For good measure, the little Pancham cub smacks the Ditto's face with a paw, causing it to jiggle back and forth.

"Pan!" it cries angrily, which translates into _meanie!_ for Harry and anyone else who was turned into a Pokémon. It breaks out into laughter soon after that he can't help but consider adorable. Thankfully, it hadn't been hurt when the Ditto-scientist had lifted it up by the scruff of its neck. Harry takes note that its voice sounds a lot like a little boy.

Picking the Pancham cub off of the floor to rest on her shoulders, Pangoro turns to move to their cage. Gripping the bars, she pulls back sharply to yank the door off the cage and let the two of them out.

"Amazing," Lucy whispers as she takes a step forward. "I knew Pangoro was strong, but I've never seen its strength up close like this."

Pangoro smiles faintly before she locks her gaze onto Harry. "You were right. This is something I should have done a lot sooner."

He agrees to some extent. "You didn't want to risk your kids getting hurt. Knowing what we know now about losing our memories when we use our powers too much, that was also a risk. I'm sorry I pushed you so hard."

She shakes her head. "I'm glad you did and I don't regret it. I'm not sure if we're going to lose our memories a second time if we overuse our powers like this again."

He isn't sure either, but he hopes not. He doesn't want to turn into a regular Pikachu again. He doesn't want to lose the ability again to talk to his son...wherever Tim is now.

He has to find him.

Finding his hat would also be nice, but that's the least of his worries and he pushes it far into the back of his mind. He can always find a new hat once they get out of this mess—a hat that will fit his _human_ head.

"We have to get out of here," Pangoro says, glancing towards the room's half-open door.

"Way ahead of you," Harry agrees, just as eager to get out and put the cage behind him. Before he was actually hired as a detective for real, he always imagined what it would be like to be captured or held hostage. He certainly hadn't expected to experience one of his worst nightmares as a Pikachu of all Pokémon.

Bounding out of the cage, he rushes to the first scientist, ignoring the Ditto's partner that lays in just as much of a flattened blob on the hard, white floor. The lanyard the scientist had been wearing also lays nearby and Harry gladly takes it into his paws, wrapping it around his neck like a collar; it's most likely going to come in handy.

He nods to the door, nudging it open further with his nose. "Let's go."

But they can't just leave behind the other two cubs, either. Harry can read that on Pangoro's face as clear as day. She's overjoyed to have one of her cubs back and the scientist had made their job a little easier by bringing the cub to them, but the others are still trapped in the basement area of the lab.

Thankfully he can still remember where the bottom part of the lab is, though it's more difficult. From what he can remember about nearly attacking Tim (thank Arceus it was only _nearly)_ a trap door had opened that they fell into together, enabling them to find the caged cubs.

"Just a heads up that we might have to find another way in. We found the cage under...strange circumstances," he warns Pangoro about her other two children still stuck in the dark. He doesn't want to take any chances going to the main part of the lab where the containment chamber is located and risk Roger finding them. He's not even sure if what he remembers is real and if it actually happened, if that odd tile had really opened up below them and caused them to fall underground.

If he has to take a wild guess, it was thanks to Mewtwo that he hadn't attacked his own son. The psychic must have saved them by opening up a hole in the floor, leading Tim right to him. The more Harry learns, the more he knows that PCL was wrong about the psychic, and the more guilt seeps through him at the fact that he'd caught the Pokémon for Howard's personal gain.

"There is another way in," Pangoro lets him know. Harry's ears flick forward in surprise. Then again, maybe not too much surprise...he can faintly recall a door in the wall opening up when the scientists had taken Tim away. Pangoro has been here longer and knows the lab almost like the back of her paws.

A few twists and turns and hallways later that leaves him slightly confused and turned around, Pangoro reaches down to ask for the card that Harry had taken from the scientist. Obliging and taking the lanyard off his neck, he hands her the card so she can use it to get the door open for them. If only he was just a little taller, but he's still stuck in the body of a small and yellow Pikachu.

"I have a headache," Lucy mumbles quietly, reaching her feathered hands up to her head. "Now I know how Psyduck feels all the time."

Entering the basement is the same as Harry remembers, however foggy his memory as a regular Pikachu is. Nothing but pitch black, the low hum of machines and the cage that contains the two remaining cubs. Whimpering in alarm at the newcomers, they back up against the cage until Pangoro takes matters into her own paws and they recognize their mother, their eyes lighting up brightly in the dark.

Easily ripping the wrap-around cage in half with her strength, the two cubs rush forward once they see the opening, catapulting right into their mother and squeaking with joy. Pangoro sighs in relief, bending down to take the cubs gently into her arms and hugging them both.

"We're not going to stay Pokémon forever are we, Mommy?" the voice of an innocent little girl pipes up from one of the cubs. Harry takes a deep breath. It's so easy to forget that the cubs as well as their mother are really human like him, too.

Pangoro takes a minute to answer, like she's unsure of how to respond; if she should respond at all to the same question that Harry is starting to be so unsure of himself. Up until now, he's been trying to keep a level head, but maybe he should really be trying not to get his hopes up too high. He looks away from Pangoro, not having the heart to voice his fears out loud in front of the cubs.

"No," she finally says softly, though Harry can tell she's unsure of her answer. "No, we're not."

"I miss Daddy. I miss that boy who found us, too. I hope he's okay," a second Pancham says, its voice oddly like another little boy. The small cub tightens his paws around his mother's fur.

Harry's heart skips a quick beat at the surprising mention of Tim, remembering when they found the cubs and how they sat with them together. He smiles at the reunion unfolding, imagining his own with Tim. His son doesn't know that he's regained his memories yet, but he can't wait to surprise Tim by talking to him again.

They just have to find him first. It feels like it's been as long as they had been separated for ten years since the last time they saw each other.

Pangoro lifts her remaining two cubs onto her back so they can hang on, delighted to also be reunited with their sibling that had been taken from them by the scientist, huddling close together on top of their perch.

Two brothers and one sister. He's tempted to ask what their names are, realizing that he's never even asked Pangoro her own name, but a more important matter presses against his mind and refuses to let go.

Harry almost starts going back the way they came, but Pangoro stops him before he can go any further. "I know a safer way out."

Not for the first time, Harry is glad that the large Pokémon is on their side, especially someone who knows the layout of the lab so well since she was here much longer than them. Good thing they brought the scientist's identification card with them so going through doors isn't any trouble. All the while, he keeps an eye out for any rogue Pokémon like Greninja that might be hiding, waiting for the perfect moment to jump out and attack.

But no, the entire lab seems relatively quiet. Too quiet. Roger even seems to have disappeared altogether.

He takes a deep breath of fresh air as they make their way outside. With some areas of the lab still broken, evidence that a terrible accident had once happened here, it isn't too difficult getting out like he and Tim had gotten in.

That was easier than he thought it was going to be; maybe Roger is just too concerned with Mew's escape, but Harry has a bad feeling that it isn't the last time he'll be seeing Howard's son. Speaking of Howard, where has _he_ been this whole time? Harry realizes that he hasn't seen the founder of Ryme City at all since listening in on the office meeting with Roger.

Pangoro trudges on two feet with her cubs clinging for dear life to her back, eager to get as far away from the lab as possible. Lucy follows close behind, tugging at the neural link on top of her head that still won't come off.

Now that they've escaped, what next? What about finding a way to get back to normal? They can't possibly make it all the way to Ryme City on foot. It's miles and miles away from here, it would take hours or even days, not to mention the risk of being caught in Poké Balls outside of city limits if they came across a traveling trainer. Maybe that's also a reason it was so easy to escape the lab. Maybe Roger thinks that they don't have any chances of truly escaping, that they'll come crawling back to beg for a way to turn back into humans. Because _Tim_ is still there and Roger knows his father won't abandon him for anything.

Tim. His _son._ He can't just leave him behind while he's most likely stuck somewhere deep in the lab. Even if Roger still thinks he and Pangoro have forgotten who they are, he's planning something.

Something big, most likely having to do with Mewtwo, the purple gas and Ryme City.

Harry stops in his tracks, refusing to go any further. Lucy stops as well upon not hearing any more of his footsteps in the grass, and he can tell she already knows what he's thinking.

"I have to go back in and find him," he confirms out loud, turning his gaze back towards the lab. He doesn't want to go back, but he has to. He can't just leave Tim there. He doesn't care if he'd be walking right into a trap.

Lucy approaches him slowly, concern etched across her expression.

"He does know who you are, doesn't he? That's why you both came to me again at the studio, because you were trying to solve your own mystery."

He nods slowly, and Lucy doesn't even seem upset that Tim hadn't told her the truth when he had the chance. Would she have even believed him? The truth about him being turned into a Pikachu seems a little far out there even for the highly determined reporter.

"I'm coming with you," she says firmly.

Harry isn't going to allow it. He's not going to put Tim's future girlfriend at risk. "No, you have to stay safe with Pangoro."

Lucy immediately starts to protest. "That stuff they gave you hasn't worn off yet, what if you need my- _Psyduck's_ powers?"

Harry admits she has a good point, but she's forgetting one thing. She doesn't exactly know how to use Psyduck's powers yet.

"You have to stay..." he trails off, his eyes connecting with a shape above in the distance that appears to be coming closer. Being a much smaller Pokémon, he hopes it isn't something that can steal him right from the ground.

"Pidgeot?" he murmurs in confusion as it flaps its wings to come nearer, taking a few steps back. A wild Pidgeot or any Pokémon for that matter wouldn't normally approach so willingly like it is now, but he has to remind himself that he _is_ a Pokémon himself and not a human, so maybe it's just trying to offer a friendly greeting for some reason. Maybe it would even be willing to help Pangoro get her cubs to safety faster.

Or maybe it just sees him as a tasty meal and he takes a few more steps back, preparing himself to run.

The flying Pokémon stares at him from above, its eyes widening upon contact with his own, as if it somehow _recognizes_ him. What's even weirder is that a Snubbull is sitting comfortably on its back. That is, until the Pidgeot wavers in midair and then falls harshly to the ground, Snubbull landing into the grass next to it.

Lucy gasps, rushing next to the Snubbull to make sure the fallen Pokémon is okay.

 _Yoshida's_ _Snubbull,_ Harry realizes. What's he doing with a Pidgeot? And is it just his imagination, or is he hearing police car sirens in the far off distance?

Pangoro keeps her cubs back away from the large, winged Pokémon.

Harry stands still, wondering if he should even attempt to move any closer. It seems like the bird had crash landed intentionally in front of _him._

Pidgeot sighs in exhaustion, and then a white light suddenly surrounds it.

Feathers change almost instantly into short pink fur, but its tired brown eyes remain the same.

Why are its eyes so frighteningly _familiar?_

This is his first time encountering the rare Pokémon. _  
_

He's only ever read about it in the paper, how Ryme City had unearthed its remains at a dig site he was going to investigate at some point. Pangoro was right when she'd talked about being able to feel a strange and powerful certain energy being emitted they could feel instantly upon waking up, and he was also right when he knew that Roger had figured out a way to bring the rare Pokémon back to life.

"Mew?" he whispers in shock.

He's just as unprepared when an explosion rattles the air. The group turns to look back at the lab, just barely spotting a shape hovering above.

It takes off fast in the direction of Ryme City.

[](https://www.hitwebcounter.com)  
  



	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who let me know that email notifications are still working! Feel free to let me know if you got the update for this one as well, I'm worried it might not work a second time, lol
> 
> Fair warning that from this chapter on, it's going to get very angsty. Seriously. There is going to be a LOT of angst. This story might not even have a happy ending like the movie that you're all probably hoping for as it is canon divergence, after all ;)

The first question that runs through Harry's mind is why would a rare Pokémon like Mew choose to show itself to them?

Pangoro reaches up behind her shoulders, gently picking up each of her cubs to set them on the grass so she can inch closer to Mew and get a better look.

She stops in front of the rare Pokémon, not wanting to risk getting too close and scaring it. Even from where she stands, she can see just by how the Mew is lying on its belly that something is very wrong. From what little she's managed to research, Mew is usually up in the air whether floating or flying. The black and white Pokémon turns back to the Pikachu watching curiously just behind her.

"It seems very weak," Pangoro informs him sorrowfully. If only there was some way she could help, but the nearest Pokémon Center is all the way in the city. If only she had been turned into a more fitting Pokémon like Chansey or Audino, then maybe she'd have a better chance at helping a rare species like this.

Harry can see as clear as day that Mew isn't in the greatest condition. Maybe that's why it decided to show itself, because it really had no other choice when it crash landed. If it didn't seem so weak as Pangoro just said, it probably wouldn't have even considered flying right in their direction until it crashed.

"How strange," Pangoro murmurs quietly, almost lost in thought and amazed at how close they are.

"What?" Harry asks. There's a lot of things he'd like to know about the rare Pokémon, too.

"From the few stories I've read of those who have claimed to see this Pokémon, they've said that Mew's eyes are blue."

Harry takes a closer look, being careful not to startle it. He feels bad for staring, but Mew is staring just as intently right back at him.

Pangoro is right—this Mew has brown eyes. Brown eyes that seem so familiar, but Harry just can't place it. Why would such a rare Pokémon that hardly anyone has ever laid eyes on seem so _familiar?_

Its eyes are droopy like it can hardly keep itself awake. Not a sound comes from it other than labored breathing, its chest rising and falling very unsteadily. The poor thing obviously needs help—it needs a Pokémon Center, but Harry isn't sure that's the best idea with how rare Mew is. A Pokémon Center would mean a lot of people seeing it, and the one thing Harry is sure of is that Mew would rather not be seen by any humans.

No doubt this is all Roger's doing—the poor Mew probably had to suffer through numerous different experiments before it finally escaped as the scientist had said when it brought the Pancham cub into the room. Maybe the awful experiments it went through even caused its eyes to change from their normal blue color to brown.

Eyes so similar to...

An overwhelming instinct to try and help takes over, and Harry begins to take slow, cautious steps forward.

"It's okay," he whispers, reaching a paw out towards Mew's snout to offer what might be the first gentle touch it will experience. "No one is going to hurt you. We just want to help."

Mew stays strangely quiet, watching him calmly. It doesn't seem uneasy or nervous; unusual for such a wild and rare Pokémon.

It doesn't even budge or try to shy away from him. It seems like the Mew is _welcoming_ his approach, as if it's already used to him.

Not making a sound, the Mew just barely manages to lift its head and move a little closer towards his paw.

But just before Harry can even touch it, his paw jerks back as if a static shock had gotten him, a white and bright light blinding him for just a few seconds before it vanishes. Which doesn't make any sense, considering he's an electric type...

Mew lets out an unexpected, high-pitched and pained squeal soon after, curling into a tight ball. Harry's heart skips a beat; he hadn't meant to hurt it. He said he wouldn't, and now he probably just lost what little of Mew's trust he had.

Was it something he did or something Mew did, or maybe even _both_ of them?

Breathing hard with wide eyes, he glances towards Pangoro and Lucy to make sure he hadn't just been imagining things.

Pangoro stares down at her trembling paws. "I felt it, too."

"I didn't feel anything," Lucy says, almost disappointed that she missed out. "What did it feel like?"

It wasn't anything like what he and Pangoro felt when they woke up that had alerted them to Mew's presence, but calm and soothing like somehow...everything will go back to normal.

 _Human_ instantly comes to Harry's mind.

 _He_ felt human, as if he was back in his original body. Taller with longer arms and legs and fur no longer covering his body, enabling him to wear normal clothes.

The three Pancham cubs hold each other's paws, dancing up and down in an excited circle.

"We're gonna change back! We're gonna change back!"

Change back into humans? How are they going to do that without Roger's help, without risking going back into the lab to find a cure?

Before Harry can ask the cubs what exactly they mean by that, his ears perk up as the police car sirens blare louder.

The pink Pokémon's brown eyes connect with the cars approaching, and it quickly disappears like it had never been lying on the grass at all.

Harry blinks at the empty spot but Mew doesn't reappear, probably wanting to hide from humans it doesn't know it can trust.

But how did it know it can trust _him?_ Just because he's currently a Pokémon?

Snubbull groans nearby, finally coming to and sitting up weakly.

"I had a dream that I found a strange Pokémon in my partner's office. Then it changed into a Pikachu and then a Pidgeot and I jumped on its back. It led the police here."

Harry tilts his head in confusion. A Pikachu? Why would Mew turn into a Pikachu?

"It wasn't a dream, Snubbull," Lucy says, amazed that she's able to understand another Pokémon apart from Harry, Pangoro and the cubs. A Pokémon that's always been a Pokémon and not just a human who was turned into one.

Snubbull doesn't seem very convinced.

"I feel like I'm forgetting something important about the dream," he murmurs, rubbing his head with a paw and looking around every which way in even more confusion. "Where am I?"

His question never has a chance to be answered when the second explosion that shakes the air is even worse, causing the group to once again look back at the lab.

Except it's not exactly a lab anymore, bright orange engulfing the entire building.

"Tim...?" Harry whispers, nearly choking on the name.

His son.

Still inside the lab.

That just exploded and is now up in flames.

Harry is sure he's screaming now, but it's hard to hear even himself with the way his ears are now ringing from the blast.

The blast that just destroyed the entire lab including all Pokémon...and _humans_ still inside.

"Tim! TIM!"

Cold realization washes fast over him.

That could have been him if he was still inside. It could have been Lucy, Pangoro and her cubs. He's not sure about the Greninja that attacked them or the Torterra, but he hopes they were moved out of harm's way when Roger decided it was best to hide them. His stomach twists at the thought of the two poor Ditto scientists that Pangoro knocked out. Did they manage to wake back up in time and escape?

But it was so easy for _them_ to escape because this is what Roger had been planning all along: destroy the evidence, including the experiments no matter if they were once human.

He'd rather it be him. Not his son.

Not Tim...

He can barely feel Lucy grabbing onto his tail and he's sure it would otherwise be painful, but nothing compares to the pain of losing his son.

His child.

His son that he's failed so many times and now in the worst possible way that can't be undone.

If his powers weren't still disabled, he'd shock Lucy into letting him go so he could run inside, but no matter how hard he tries, his electricity still just isn't _working._ Pangoro had said that the drug they'd given him only lasts for an hour or two depending on each Pokémon, but it has to have been a lot longer than that. Why aren't his powers coming back so he can do something?!

He doesn't care if he'll lose his memory again, he's tired of feeling so small, so useless and so helpless...!

"No, you can't go in there! It's too late!" Lucy screams, her own tears beginning to emerge.

She hasn't known Tim very long, but she felt... _something_ that she hasn't felt about any other guy before. He helped her try to solve Harry's mystery when everyone else called her crazy and turned her away, but he hadn't. He'd been ready to help whenever he could, even borrowing her car to come here to PCL.

Did he feel the same way about her?

Now she'll never know and it's all her fault he was stuck in the lab that _she_ made him go to.

"Harry?"

The detective's ears twitch at the familiar voice of Yoshida, confusion nearly overriding his grief that the lieutenant is speaking directly towards him while he's a Pikachu, but he doesn't look away from the burning lab.

Would Roger and Howard really murder his son like that in cold blood?

They could have killed him to keep him quiet, but they hadn't. They turned him into a Pikachu instead.

What if the same thing happened to Tim?

But no. The more he looks on at the burning lab, the more doubt takes over. Even if Tim _was_ turned into a Pokémon, he was still trapped inside. He could have been stuck in a cage with no way to escape, no powerful Pokémon like Pangoro to break him out.

"Harry," the same voice speaks again calmly.

It's enough to break him out of his overwhelming grief, finally looking up at the lieutenant and trying not to break down in tears right then and there.

Yoshida is talking directly to him and saying his name even though he's still stuck as a Pikachu.

"You _are_ Harry Goodman...right?" Yoshida asks as if to make sure of something.

How did he finally figure out the truth?

Harry blinks in confusion, offering a small nod. Maybe the lieutenant is just trying to confirm that Detective Goodman was indeed turned into a Pikachu, that he isn't losing his mind. How exactly he finally figured it out is another matter entirely...

"I'm so sorry I didn't listen when you tried to tell me before," Yoshida says, his tone light and sincere as he follows Harry's gaze towards the flames.

Even if Yoshida still can't understand him the same way Tim could, Harry chuckles.

"No worries, boss. And yes, I _was_ turned into a hairy Pikachu," he responds with a small grin that fades just as soon after it appears, still unable to take his gaze away from the burning lab.

Tim...

"He was inside, wasn't he?" Yoshida's question reaches his ears.

Silence is enough of an answer for the lieutenant.

"I'm sorry," Yoshida says again sincerely, regret clearly lining his face. "I should have listened to Tim as well when he brought you in after the Charizard battle. We'll get to the bottom of this."

An officer approaches the two of them, a concerned expression etched on his face as he stares at Yoshida talking to the small Pokémon.

"The experiments really _were_ happening," Yoshida tells him calmly yet firmly, and the officer's eyes widen, darting down to Harry and then back to Yoshida. "PCL wasn't what we thought it was—what Howard convinced us that it was. They moved the Pokémon to hide them, not to keep them safe while they were 'rebuilding' the lab."

The police officer still can't seem to take his eyes off of Harry, most likely unwilling to believe that a human is stuck inside the body of a Pikachu.

Harry doesn't really blame him. He knows the man, but not as well as Yoshida. He listens in carefully, refusing to take his eyes off the flames that continue to shoot out from the lab and trying to ignore the curious stare of the officer.

"The fire department is on the way," he informs Yoshida. "We just got word that we currently have Howard Clifford in custody. His son Roger convinced him to turn himself in, claiming that he's the one responsible for the experiments and the R chemical that he was planning to release during the weekend parade."

Harry glances back up at Yoshida in surprise.

Howard...turned himself in? Why? Just because Roger convinced him to after suddenly growing a conscience, yet trying to pin the blame on his own father?

It can't be that easy...Roger would stay as far as he can from the police and not even try to place blame on Howard, but he just _did._

Harry feels something soft touch his shoulder, turning to see Lucy standing next to him.

Her voice shakes slightly as she brings herself to speak. "Maybe they faked his death like they faked yours. Maybe they just _want_ you to think he's dead. He has to be out there somewhere..."

Harry can only hope that she's right as they make their way towards the police cars to go back to Ryme City. It's a tight fit, but Pangoro manages to sit in a separate car with her cubs snuggled into her lap. Yoshida knows who he really is now, but he'll also have to tell him somehow that Pangoro and her cubs are human, too, including Psyduck.

He curls into a ball in the front passenger seat that Snubbull kindly offered him like Mew had done when that strange and powerful energy shocked them both. He doesn't care that Yoshida is sitting next to him, the lieutenant is focusing on the road and probably trying to figure out what to ask and say to Roger and Howard.

Either that or he's still trying to wrap his head around the fact that his best detective was turned into a Pikachu.

Lucy sits in the back with Snubbull, staring out the window and seeming like she's lost in thought just as much as he is.

All Harry knows is that something isn't right and he's going to find out what.

Tim can't be _gone..._

But the only way to reverse the transformations _is._ Whatever the cure was, it had been destroyed inside the lab.

Now there's no hope of ever getting back to normal.

xxxx

It leaves Tim a little more than surprised to find that his father seems to have somehow regained his memories, that he doesn't seem to be acting like any other Pikachu anymore. He recognizes Pangoro almost instantly from up in the air, deciding to land despite the risk of being seen by others. Her cubs are with her too, clinging carefully to her back until she puts them safely on the grass behind her.

Lucy's Psyduck is also with them, but he doesn't see Lucy anywhere and his heart drops in disappointment and worry. What if something happened to her in the lab when Roger had said that one of his trusted 'colleagues' took her on a tour? And what's that strange little headband thing on Psyduck's head? Except it doesn't seem like a normal headband...it looks like some kind of weird electronic device.

Could it be the neural link?

Lucy...?

No, it can't be. Lucy wasn't changed into Psyduck, was she? What else would that thing be for? He doesn't see her partner anywhere. Does that mean they were... _merged_ together using the neural link?

He can't hold himself up in the air any longer, wavering and falling into the grass in a crumpled heap, Snubbull landing not too far across from him. He can't even make sure that he stays as Pidgeot anymore, his tiredness taking over and forcing him to change back into Mew, the one thing he _didn't_ want to have happen.

But he can trust them anyway since no one else can understand them while they're all stuck as Pokémon.

He watches the group stare, too tired to move a muscle. His body is sore, his mind cluttered from overusing his powers so much since escaping the lab. All that flying, teleporting and now changing into other Pokémon really wore him out and now he can barely move, let alone hover in the air.

 _Pikachu,_ he almost groans out tiredly. It's difficult to even talk, his energy completely sapped.

No. Not Pikachu. If he's going to try and talk, he's going to put a stop to that nonsense and call Pikachu by the name he _should_ have been calling him all this time.

 _Dad,_ he wants to say so desperately, but he keeps his mouth shut. Snubbull had recognized his voice when he spoke, his dad would also recognize it without a doubt. If Harry knew what happened to him, that Roger had turned him into one of the rarest Pokémon by poking him with a needle with a weird substance inside of it, he's pretty sure Harry would have a meltdown and this is no time to be panicking.

Especially not over something that might not be able to be undone...the last thing he wants to do is believe Roger's lies, but he still can't stop the _what if it really isn't reversible_ from ringing in the back of his mind. He'd rather believe Mewtwo, but he's just not sure _who_ to believe at this point.

Harry steps closer. Tim just barely manages to lift his head towards his father's outstretched paw, but then something very unexpected happens.

The bright, white light that surges between them just as Harry's paw almost touches his snout is equally surprising to him.

It doesn't seem to hurt Harry, but it only makes his body scream in even more burning pain, adding on to his overall weakness.

He can't stop himself from squealing pathetically and curling into a tight ball.

His voice...when he screamed, it sounded like Mew's voice; not his own.

It's getting worse. He's turning more and more into a real Mew, and there's nothing he can do to stop it.

But maybe he should really be trying to turn himself into Mew _faster..._

He might not be a detective, but the implications of the static shock and what the Pancham cubs just said about 'changing back' made it perfectly clear what he has to do.

It doesn't make watching Harry panic when the lab explodes any easier.

His father really does care. Harry had cared that whole time, and he hadn't even given him a chance. He should have gotten on that train. He should have gone to live with him in Ryme City, then maybe their lives would have turned out very different. Maybe they both wouldn't be stuck in the wrong bodies.

Now Harry thinks he's _dead,_ but maybe it's for the best now that he knows what he has to do.

Listening in on the conversation between Yoshida and the police officer, Tim finds it both interesting and amusing that Roger has supposedly made his father turn himself in.

The group leaves with the police after making sure the fire department is on its way, only a few officers staying behind to monitor the situation.

He can't keep himself invisible anymore. They're too distracted by the fire to notice the rare Pokémon nearby.

Bringing himself to move the best that he can manage, a third explosion suddenly splits the air but from farther away. Tim doesn't have to see where it came from to know that trouble is in Ryme City now too and innocent people are in danger. He shudders at the thought of more humans being turned into Pokémon.

He has to put a stop to it.

Harry, Lucy and the others are there now in the middle of whatever it is that Roger and Howard have planned.

He really doesn't want to have to use his powers again, but he _has_ to. There's no going back at this point. If he turns into a real Mew, then so be it.

It's the only way.

Imagining Ryme City, he finds himself hovering limply over the street seconds later. The sounds of humans running every which way and their Pokémon partners letting out terrified cries reaches his ears, the strong smell of gas invading his nose and forcing him to cough.

_R._

The R gas is released in the city! Thankfully he hasn't turned into a real Mew _yet,_ so it won't currently affect him like it had affected Harry once he turned into a real Pikachu.

He doesn't even have a chance to at least _try_ to turn invisible again first and process the absolute _chaos_ around him when a powerful force grabs him and slams him into the nearest building wall, knocking the wind out of him. Debris flies forward and backward and around him, getting into his mouth and causing him to let out a cough.

Groaning and managing to free himself once the dust settles, he gathers enough strength to get out of the hole that had been created in the building when he slammed into it.

His vision clears, his eyes widening upon making contact with the large shape that had grabbed him.

Mewtwo?

No...something doesn't seem right. The same device that was on Lucy's head is now on _Mewtwo's_ head.

"So Roger thought he could make things better by bringing the rarest Pokémon of all back to life. It won't change the absolute failure of a son that he is, but it's a start. We can finally _fix_ his mistakes."

Tim narrows his eyes. Mewtwo's voice sounds much, much different, but maybe that's because it's not really _Mewtwo._

Mewtwo had talked to him and his father by using his telepathic ability, but this Mewtwo is talking just like a human would with his mouth opening and closing, revealing really creepy teeth.

_Howard._

He's finally decided to show himself, but not his _true_ self.

Tim musters enough courage to speak, hoping his plan will work. Thankfully they can understand each other now that they're both Pokémon. "You mean _both_ of your mistakes. My father didn't really die in a car crash; you turned him into a Pikachu so he would stay quiet. You turned almost an entire family into Pokémon, merged my girlfr- _friend_ with her Psyduck and then Roger turned me into the most rare and powerful Pokémon. You want to turn _everyone_ in the city into Pokémon!"

Why? Tim has no clue. He'd tried asking Roger the same question but hadn't really gotten an answer and he doubts he'll get one from Howard. To his surprise, he gets one without even having to ask.

Howard stays quiet for a moment, his purple tail swishing steadily back and forth. "So you really are Harry Goodman's son. I have tried time and time again to get my own son to believe that it's better this way for both Pokémon and humans, that we can all evolve into better versions of ourselves without risking the horrible side effect of memory loss that comes with my son's Non-Neural Link method. He even tried to stop my experiments from continuing on but continued _his,_ becoming desperate and trying to prove that he could find a way to use his method without any side effects. But it seems to me that's not the only reason Roger changed you into the most 'powerful' Pokémon. He wants to prove which one is stronger. Mew might be strong, but its clone is even _stronger."_

Tim quickly goes over Howard's speech in his head. _Howard_ created the Neural Link method. _Roger_ created the Non-Neural Link method. Howard wants Roger to believe that people changing into Pokémon is for the good of humanity; a step forward in 'evolution,' but Roger has never agreed with him and even tried to stop Howard's experiments from continuing to happen. Then he wanted to try and prove again that the Non-Neural Link method works better after making sure not as many side effects would occur, but it obviously didn't work since Tim himself is still on the verge of losing his memory. The police officer said that Roger convinced Howard to turn himself in, yet here he is in Mewtwo's body using the Neural-Link method.

Then why would Roger become so desperate and turn him into Mew? Just to prove a point to Howard? There has to be _more..._ based on what Howard just said about his son, it seems like Roger has always been dead set on his beliefs that changing and merging humans into Pokémon is wrong while Howard believes the exact opposite, that humans need to _evolve._ Roger may have wanted to believe it too at first while working on his Non-Neural Link method, but then he probably realized his mistakes once he saw how bad the side effects were.

But something else also stands out to Tim.

Mewtwo is Mew's _clone?_ Mewtwo's name makes it obvious, but they look absolutely nothing alike to Tim except maybe their tails that are shaped kind of similar, but he can sort of see the resemblance.

He has a bad feeling there's a lot of history between the two he doesn't know about. Despite learning its powers, he still hardly knows anything about the rare Pokémon he was turned into.

Howard speaks again, raising both of his hands to create a purple ball of energy. Tim's heart pounds faster.

"It's time to prove which of our methods is more stable—the Neural Link or Non-Neural Link method. Which _Pokémon_ is stronger. Mew or Mewtwo?"

Tim glares hard. It's not a contest!

 _Talk about daddy issues._ His relationship with his father has always been rocky since Harry left to live here in Ryme City, but not as rocky as the relationship between Howard and his son.

Howard is egging him on. He _wants_ him to use his powers more so his transformation will be completed faster, but Roger's father has no idea that's a part of _his_ genius plan, too.

But first, he has to get that thing off of Mewtwo's head somehow and break him out of Howard's control!

It can't be that difficult, right?

Enough is _enough._

Concentrating the best that he can with his foggy mind, Tim raises his paws almost subconsciously to create a pink ball of energy of his own.

If it's a battle Howard wants, then a battle he's going to get.

[](https://www.hitwebcounter.com)   
  



	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is either going to be really epic or really confusing, there's no in between. You decide ;)
> 
> Warning: There is violence and blood. Story might have to go up to a T rating

Harry almost falls into a deep sleep to try and forget the grief of losing Tim that swirls painfully as he rests in the front passenger seat next to Yoshida, but a sharp jolt that sends the police car skidding in a circle until it halts in place is definitely enough to startle him awake.

Thankfully, Yoshida seems to be perfectly unharmed in the front seat. The lieutenant turns sharply to him to make sure his partner-turned-Pokémon is alright.

"I'm fine," Harry reassures him, nodding to make sure that he understands. Yoshida looks at the other Pokémon in the back seat to check and see if Snubbull and Psyduck are also unharmed.

"Is everyone okay?" Harry asks in a daze for him, shaking his head to get rid of the dizziness.

Lucy and Snubbull both nod at the same time. Yoshida is already out of the car, opening the doors so all of them can get out into the street.

"What hit us?" Snubbull asks, glancing every which way, but no other cars seem to be in sight.

"There!" Lucy exclaims, pointing up at the sky. Confused, Harry follows her feathered hand until his eyes land on two shapes flying above.

It's a bit hard to see from so far down below the tall skyscrapers, but Harry thinks he can make out the small, pink shape of the Pokémon they had encountered earlier.

 _Mew,_ he realizes. It's fighting another Pokémon, a much larger one. Pink and blue balls of energy shoot from one towards the other and then back, bouncing off each other.

That can't be good. Mew had seemed so tired and weak, it won't last long in a battle, especially not against _that_ Pokémon if his guess is right about it being Mewtwo.

He spots a large, black and white figure off to the side that had been sitting in the other police car that nearly turned over.

"Are they okay?" Harry asks in a rush, glancing up at the cubs on the Pokémon's shoulders.

Pangoro makes sure to give each cub the time and attention they need for her to see if any of them have been injured. She looks back down at him, nodding.

Harry has a bad feeling that something big is about to go down. He can feel it in his jellies.

"Get them somewhere safe," he tells Pangoro, although he's not really sure that anywhere is safe in the city at the moment.

Harry hadn't realized how close they are to the police department. Officers rush out, Roger taking the lead.

"Where's Howard?" Yoshida asks right away.

"Still inside, but he's not exactly himself," Roger informs them, pointing up to the sky. "He used that damn neural link of his and now no one can get it off."

"Neural link?" Yoshida asks, obviously confused since the whole case isn't what he previously thought it was. The lieutenant has a _lot_ of catching up to do.

"The Neural-Link method merges the minds of Pokémon and humans together," Roger explains a little too eagerly for Harry's taste, like he actually _wants_ to help. "The Non-Neural Link method changes humans entirely into Pokémon. It's irreversible."

Harry can see Yoshida's face pale considerably at the thought of his best detective staying a Pokémon for the rest of his life. He's been perfectly calm for the most part the entire time since discovering his transformation might be permanent, he can't start losing it now.

"But the Neural-Link method _can_ be reversed, right?" Harry murmurs to himself. Yoshida glances down at him, still probably only hearing _'pika, pika.'_ So Yoshida can understand, he lifts his paws towards his head to mimic taking something off. If only he still had his hat...

"Can the Neural-Link method be reversed?" Yoshida translates uneasily for Harry.

"Yes, but not easily," Roger answers all too willingly. "It would need to be powered down permanently somehow but once that's done, my father should go back into his original body."

Harry frowns. Why the hell is Roger being so helpful all of a sudden when _he's_ the one who got them all into this mess along with his father? It's like none of it ever even happened in the first place!

"You're the one who got us into this mess," Harry decides to accuse the man out loud even if he can't understand him. He points a paw towards him even more accusingly so the message will come across despite the language barrier. "Why didn't you do anything about it _sooner?"_

"He had one of his Ditto _lock_ me in a _closet_ with my hands tied together," Roger says with so much anger that his face turns red. "It took me forever to get out of there!"

Roger was tied in a closet by one of Howard's Ditto? He has to wonder for how long. Maybe ever since he went to the studio with Tim? Harry can't help but inwardly chuckle at the thought.

"You deserve it for turning me into a Pikachu," he growls, gesturing down wildly to his body so Roger continues to get the message.

"Hey, I had nothing to do with that!" Roger defends himself quicker than Harry expects. His eyes suddenly widen. If Harry didn't know any better, he'd say that Roger looks absolutely _terrified._

"I'm guessing _that_ thing did," Roger warns, pointing a finger. "Behind you! It's not me!"

Harry goes rigid, almost afraid to turn around, but he does anyway until his gaze meets the monstrosity before him.

Another Roger that wears the same white lab coat.

The 'real' Roger backs up slowly. "I always told my father no one likes his Pokémon!"

A red flag raises and alarm bells ring off this time.

"You're a Ditto," Harry confirms to himself to the 'other' Roger, eyes widening in absolute horror. Well, this is certainly one thing he hadn't been expecting at all.

"One of my father's experiments," Roger explains hastily, backing up and for good reason. "Well, it started out as _my_ experiment, but then my father took on the project with his team of Ditto."

The other Roger starts to melt, pink appearing and traveling down his arms, stopping just before it reaches his feet.

"I'm not a _true_ Ditto," the pink part-blob of a Pokémon growls. "I wasn't supposed to be like this. The others were still able to change into other Pokémon, but I was stuck in the form of my master's son."

Harry takes a wild guess that it means the other Ditto scientists. He steps backward as the newly revealed Roger-Ditto advances forward towards him, its human eyes dark with hate and anger.

"All I wanted was to stay a Ditto. Roger assured me that I would be able to change back to normal, but he thought wrong. I became stuck like this. As a _human,"_ the Ditto snaps. "But my master, Howard, wanted to do more experiments on us. It worked out fine for the others, but not for me. So I took Roger's method and tried to make it _better_ so the other 'Ditto' that changed back into their true selves would stay that way permanently. I also invented a drug that can disable any Pokémon's powers, hoping it would help change me back into a Ditto, but it didn't work on me for some reason. I'm _stuck_ like this and can't change back into a Ditto. Unless..."

Unless what? The Ditto doesn't bother continuing what it was about to say.

A Ditto that changed into a human, unable to change back into its original form...? That's a new one, the complete opposite of humans being changed into and merged with Pokémon, but it somehow makes a lot of sense.

Just barely.

"Howard used to be my master and I used to be one of his assistants, but no more since the day Ms. Norman tried to put a stop to my plans. Everything was always about Master this, Master that. I am my own person."

Ms. Norman was actually a Ditto? No wonder she'd always been so quiet. Harry is glad he warned Tim about these... _things._ You never know when they could turn on you!

He's caught off guard suddenly as a blow to his chest sends him flying across the street. Looking back, a Bouffalant affected by the purple gas spreading across the city paws the ground with a hoof, getting ready to charge again.

He couldn't care less about the Ditto's problems, another matter pressing harshly against his mind and preparing himself for another blow from the Bouffalant.

"W-what did you do to Tim?" Harry manages to cough out despite the heavy hit, gasping as his ribs cry out in burning pain. He _refuses_ to believe that his son perished in the burning lab even if it seems like this Ditto is certainly capable of doing such a thing.

Ditto completely ignores him, nodding towards the Bouffalant. It snorts, charging once more and hitting him right in the gut, sending him flying closer to Lucy.

"It suddenly came to me one day that I needed to bring back the rarest Pokémon of all for my new Non-Neural Link method to work. I needed to make sure that I had a foolproof way to change back into a Ditto and _stay_ a Ditto. Howard was _wrong_ to try to change us into humans."

"Not all humans are like Howard," Harry counters, but the crazy Ditto isn't exactly listening and Harry isn't sure why he's even bothering to try getting its attention.

"You were supposed to _die_ in that lab explosion along with the others," the Ditto hisses, and a shiver runs down Harry's spine. Does it mean the other Ditto? He might not be fond of them either, but he wouldn't wish _death_ on them just because he doesn't agree with what this Ditto was trying to accomplish even if it was just trying to get back to normal like he also so desperately wants.

"I only allowed Mew to escape because it was all part of my plan to make it use its powers more. That way, my version of the Non-Neural Link method would work faster and I would change back into a Ditto. Once Mew's transformation is complete, I'll use the same medicine I used on you so it won't be able to use its powers and reverse everything again."

_Medicine?_

Oh. It means the drug that disabled his electricity. Of course.

 _Transformation? Mew is just a normal Pokémon, isn't it? Reverse what?_ Harry has no idea what it's talking about, but Ditto really planned all this out.

"I'll give you a taste of your own medicine," Harry murmurs, more to himself.

Ditto isn't even making any sense at this point and he glances back to make sure everyone else is still okay.

Everyone except the real Roger, who seems to have left them all to defend themselves.

Coward.

Lucy watches helplessly from the sidelines. So Roger was actually a Ditto the entire time and she was merged into Psyduck by the head scientist Ditto!

Bouffalant paws the ground yet again, and Harry knows he won't be able to take another hit.

Lucy wishes she can do something, _anything_ to help Harry, but what can she do as Psyduck? The only thing he's good at is getting headaches.

"My head hurts really, _really_ bad," she whines, slamming her eyes shut. How does Psyduck even use his powers under so much stress?! "I'm sorry! I can't do this!"

"Now is the perfect time to get a headache!" Harry encourages from his spot on the ground. "Just focus on your partner and what he would do in this situation. It's within reach, you just need to keep focusing on the power that's inside!"

He wishes more than anything now that he'd had his own partner, but now's not the time to regret past mistakes.

The headache just gets worse and worse until finally, she can't take it anymore. She knows _exactly_ what her Psyduck would do in a situation like this, following Harry's advice to produce a massive, explosive headache that sends the Bouffalant flying backwards just as it charges again.

"I actually did that!" Lucy shouts in victory with her hands up, smiling widely and putting a hand on her yellow belly. _"We_ did that!"

White flashes everywhere from Howard, consuming both Snubbull and Yoshida at the same time until it fades and simply 'Snubbull' is left.

"Harry?" he squeaks in alarm, holding his paws up to feel his pink and furry face. "W-what just happened?!"

"Shocking, right?" Harry says with a grin. Now Hide knows how he felt when when _he_ was first turned into a Pikachu. If only Tim could have heard that terrible dad joke.

Hide's jaw drops at the fact that he can now understand Harry as a _Pikachu._

But then Harry notices something. Yoshida isn't even wearing a neural link, but he was still merged into Snubbull.

Harry recalls the last bit of the video in the office that had been cut off.

_"However, we have discovered—"_

His heart skips a beat.

Energy can be heard hissing behind them like it's being prepared to be put to use, aiming directly for a mother desperately trying to protect her cubs in the middle of the chaos.

Pangoro reaches over for the nearest parked car, easily picking it up with her strength to shield her cubs from the oncoming attack and flinging it at Howard, just barely missing him.

Mew flies by seconds later, its attention solely focused on Howard and too busy to notice any of them, only stopping for a brief moment to try and get its breath back before taking off after Howard again.

Roger-Ditto grins, its eyes turning black. Small, beady and black just like the other Ditto scientists who had to hide their faces behind masks.

Harry takes a step back as the Ditto speaks. Its voice sounds different, more like a Pokémon.

"It's working. I can finally change again. The more Mew uses its powers..."

In a quick motion, Harry suddenly feels sharp talons gripping the scruff of his neck, lifting him higher and higher from the ground.

"The more I change back to normal."

Now would be the perfect opportunity to put his electric powers to good use with Ditto being a flying type (Braviary, from what he can make out against the sun's glare) but for some reason, he still just can't activate his electricity.

Ditto-Braviary tosses him carelessly onto the highest building in the city—the CNM tower—through the windows that Howard had broken.

Harry rolls into Howard's office until a wall stops him from continuing further, backing up against it.

If Ditto isn't answering any questions about Tim, maybe it will about something else that he just realized.

"You're a Pokémon, how come R didn't affect you?" he demands, recalling how Roger-Ditto had released the purple gas in the lab that made him attack Tim once his full transformation into a Pikachu was enough for the R gas to affect him.

"Being turned into a full human has some advantages," Ditto is happy to explain, a far off look in its eyes like it actually _wants_ to relive the moment, something Harry would rather forget altogether. "Like other humans such as your son understanding me. Not having to hide my face behind a mask like the other Ditto scientists. Like the R gas no longer able to affect me."

His worst nightmare that had nearly killed Tim in the arena appears right in front of him—the Ditto changes into Charizard with the same black and beady eyes, grabbing him harshly by his tail with its teeth and sending him flying away from the wall right towards the broken windows and leaving him dangling _right over the edge!_

Oh _Arceus..._

"I-I don't understand," Harry grunts, desperately trying to pick himself back up so he won't risk falling from such a big height. His tail is throbbing, probably twisted because of Charizard's strong grip. "Why are you able to change back into other Pokémon now? How come you aren't stuck as Roger anymore?"

Ditto pauses for a moment as if considering its answer very carefully.

"Mew contains the DNA of all Pokémon. Do you know what happens when you add a _human_ into the mix?" the Ditto hisses into his ear, now transforming into a Cubone to try and knock him off the building with its bone club while Harry holds on for dear life.

Time seems to slow down and Harry turns his head around quickly, his eyes sticking to the pink Pokémon flying just outside the broken window all while hanging from the building with one paw...

 _Mew contains the DNA of all Pokémon,_ Ditto's words echo back at him. Pangoro had said the same thing earlier when they had woken up with their memories that had somehow returned.

Realization starts to form, his eyes widening.

_Transformation...form..._

The Ditto had brought Mew back to life by transforming a human into the rare Pokémon.

Now it also contains the DNA of a human...but not just _any_ human...

 _"It seems very weak,"_ Pangoro had said when they came across the Mew.

Weak because humans turned into Pokémon aren't _meant_ to use their powers.

Why he and Pangoro had suddenly both regained their memories in the lab. Why it seems like his powers aren't coming back because it's not the drug's fault, but that he's been starting to feel more _human_ ever since his encounter with Mew and that strange light that flashed between them...

Why Ditto is suddenly able to change back _into_ a Ditto and other Pokémon, no longer stuck in its Roger human form.

Why Ditto had said Mew would be able to reverse everything...

Why this Mew's eyes are _brown_ and not their usual blue...

"...Tim?" Harry whispers, craning his neck more to stare at the two flying Pokémon across from him that continue to shoot blue energy balls at each other.

Relief that his son is still alive floods his entire being, that he _hadn't_ been inside the lab when it exploded in flames.

Tim is still _alive!_ The Mew had been his own son, so close yet so far. He'd been right _there_ and Harry hadn't even put two and two together until now thanks to Ditto's hint.

Harry's relief is instantly replaced with worry.

Tim is alive, but he was turned into a Pokémon just like him.

What is Tim doing using his powers so much?! He knows what will happen, he _saw_ it happen to his own father, but he's still up there fighting against Howard-Mewtwo, risking his life to protect the city when he doesn't _have_ to.

But Ditto's words ring in his ears again about Mew's DNA supposedly being able to fix everything...

No.

All it takes for his paw to finally slip off is another tap from Cubone-Ditto's bone, feeling his stomach drop.

 _"TIM!"_ he shouts, hopefully loud enough for his son to hear him.

He's falling fast and he'll never get to say everything he wanted to say—

xxxx

Honestly, this is not how Tim thought his little trip to Ryme City would go. He goes over the list in his head, blocking a blue, psychic surge of energy from hitting him with a wave of a small paw and creating a pink bubble shield around him.

1.) Finding out his father had been turned into a Pikachu

2.) Trying to help his father find out _how_ he'd been turned into a Pikachu and get him back to normal

3.) Meeting the girl of his dreams, even if he'd never admit it out loud

4.) Finding the missing Pancham cubs and their mother who are really just innocent people dragged into this mess

5.) His father getting drugged with the R gas and attacking him

6.) Finding out the psychic Pokémon Mewtwo may actually be on their side

7.) Getting turned into a Pokémon himself, but not just _any_ Pokémon. One of the rarest Pokémon ever

8.) Finding out he might just be able to fix all of it, but at a cost

Oh, and he can't forget having to fight the crazed Mewtwo-now-being-controlled-by-the-creator-of-Ryme-City-himself.

It's pretty easy to avoid Howard-Mewtwo's powers—all he has to do is turn invisible, confusing the human-merged-Pokémon, only using teleporting as a last resort if he has to (which is a _lot_ since Howard keeps shooting black balls with crackling blue energy around them at him)

The balloons are the source of the R, he quickly realizes as Howard pops them open with his powers to reveal the purple gas pouring out over the city. The balloons are _also_ a good way to get around if he doesn't want to keep flying, sliding over them and even using them as temporary shields to protect himself.

At one point, he just barely lands on a Pikachu balloon, hovering just inches over it.

Oh, the irony.

Howard breaks through the balloon, ripping Pikachu's face to shreds and causing a big burst of flame to explode from the inside.

"People of Ryme City! I've finally discovered a cure not just for me, but for all of humanity! Pokémon can evolve into better versions of themselves and now, so can you! Humans and Pokémon merged into one!"

Without further warning, his hands light up into white and he begins using it on people to merge them into their Pokémon.

He doesn't need the neural links after all. Maybe Howard only needs his because Mewtwo is too strong for him to handle otherwise.

Mewtwo can just merge them with their Pokémon with the wave of a hand!

Tim can feel himself getting weaker by the minute the more he uses his powers. He desperately wants to try changing into other Pokémon that could help him win this battle, but it's probably not a good idea with how much he's risking already just by fighting Howard.

Dang...that means he can't try changing into Arceus. It's probably for the better if he doesn't want to draw too much attention to himself.

It's like playing a video game with a friend that just keeps dodging moves and doesn't really _fight_ against you, annoyance taking over.

Like Mew, he doesn't really know anything about Mewtwo, not even its weaknesses. If only he knew _something_ useful to help him out! He knows what psychic types are weak against, but Mewtwo is still strong even if he's really being controlled by Howard. Too strong and fast for him to do any real damage no matter what Pokémon he turns into, at least until he finds the right one. It could be somewhere between one or even the eight-hundred something Pokémon in existence if Mewtwo really is the clone of Mew and can use just as many moves.

But apparently, just following Howard to the best of his ability and stopping him from merging more humans with their Pokémon is enough to annoy him.

"Enough! Leave me be; not even your _father_ could stop me!" Howard screeches in frustration. He uses his powers to call forth a small shape that Tim hadn't noticed before...a hat? Where did Howard keep it all this time during the battle? That doesn't really matter as horrible realization hits him.

The merged human-psychic takes hold of the hat with his powers, tossing it carelessly in front of him onto the city street.

"...Dad?" Tim whispers the name he's always wanted to say, staring with wide eyes at the hat his father always wore even as a Pikachu.

Now he'll never get to say it.

No, no. Not Harry. Howard wouldn't go _that_ low, would he? He's just lying again. He hadn't killed Harry when he'd still been human, he turned him into a Pokémon instead.

 _He's just trying to get in your head,_ Tim tries to tell himself over and over. But the more he looks at the lifeless hat, the more doubt creeps in. Howard can do anything he wants at this point. Even if others know his true idenity, he's still in the body of (according to him) the most powerful Pokémon in the world.

Tim doesn't even bother using his psychic powers to pick up the hat, and not just because he's not even supposed to be using them anyway. He holds the hat with his pink paws close to his aching chest, squeezing tightly. After everything they've been through, this is how it ends for Harry? After trying so hard to solve his case and get him back to normal, neither of those things happened.

He's just... _gone..._

Gone.

And it's all _his_ fault.

Now he knows how his father felt when Harry thought _he'd_ died. His heart clenches, tears prickling at the corners of his eyes. He can't let Howard get to him, he has to keep himself together, but holding the last remaining piece of his father is just too much for him to handle. Rage burning, he conjures another ball of psychic power without even needing to use an arm so he can still hold his father's hat, throwing it at Howard with everything he has, only to have Howard dodge it expertly.

"You're just as pathetic as he was," Howard sneers. "I led him to believe that he was one of my favorite humans, the best detective of Ryme City. I offered him thousands, yet he chose to walk away and interfere with my plans for a better version of humanity!"

Tim finds it rather disturbing that Howard just called Harry one of his favorite 'humans' like he's never been one, himself. The man is crazy!

"So you turned him into a Pikachu as a part of your experiment!"

"I did no such thing," Howard growls, showing creepy teeth again. "I have no idea what you're talking about; Harry died in an accident with Mewtwo. The only thing I did was fake his death to get the police off our tail."

That doesn't make any sense! But it doesn't seem like Howard is lying. Then how did Harry get turned into a Pikachu? After all this time, they still haven't gotten anywhere _close_ to solving that aspect of his mystery.

"What about you and Roger? I'd say you two are just as pathetic," Tim counters, "just as bad as we were."

Not really. Harry hadn't gone insane and never tried to 'evolve' humanity. He had come to realize just how great of a dad Harry could have been if only he'd given him a _chance._

Howard shakes his head in quick disagreement.

"Roger is the same as Harry. Once he decided to grow a conscience during his own experiments, he didn't even try bothering to help me with mine. He walked away and tried to turn me in!"

Tim quickly dodges what has to be the hundredth psychic orb thrown at him, squeezing Harry's hat closer to his chest.

 _Nothing_ is making any sense. Howard didn't change Harry into a Pikachu and neither did Roger, based on what Howard is screaming about his son being a goody two-shoes.

He can't keep up using his powers much longer. His mind is hanging on by just a thread, his human side slowly ebbing away every passing minute, the only thing keeping him afloat being the need to fix everything that had gone wrong. Howard wants to prove which method of being turned into Pokémon is stronger—the Neural Link or Non-Neural Link method, and maybe Howard is right about his own method being stronger. He doesn't appear to be showing any signs of weakness, any signs of slowing down or his powers affecting him in any way.

Of course it's the exact opposite for Tim. He'd been turned into a Pokémon by being poked with a needle, not the strange neural link.

 _"TIM!"_ he hears his name being called from behind, his head turning sharply just in time to see a Cubone knocking his father off of the CNM tower.

His father!

Harry _is_ alive! He knew Howard was just trying to get in his head, but Harry really _is_ in trouble. How did a Cubone get all the way up there, and why does it have to be a _Cubone_ of all Pokémon after his experience trying to catch one with Jack?

 _Dad!_ Tim shouts in his mind, refusing to say it out loud. He _wants_ to say it, why is it so _hard?_

_Coward. Just say it!_

Cubone pounds Harry's paw again with its bone.

Tim's eyes widen in horror as Harry finally loses his grip

and

starts

to

_fall..._

Tim throws a short arm outward without even really thinking about it, still holding the hat in his other paw. All he knows is that his father is falling fast towards his doom, and he has the ability to stop it. If Mew can do all those other amazing things like flying, teleporting and changing into other Pokémon, it can certainly save his father without even having to physically catch him.

He screams out the one name he's been wanting to say the entire time, the name he _should_ have been calling Harry right from the very start.

**_"DAD!"_ **

_Dad._ His dad...no matter how weird it feels directing the name towards a Pikachu, it feels _right._

Harry stops in midair, his fall cutting short.

Tim lets out a small sigh of relief. It worked—a psychic glow surrounds his father, protecting him from further harm as he makes sure he lands steadily on his feet near a Snorlax snoozing soundly in the street (has that thing really been there the entire time since he arrived in the city?)

Tim smiles widely down at him and he smiles back, releasing the grip on his father's hat to direct and place it gently on top of his head in between his ears where it belongs. Harry's grin widens, over the moon to have both his son _and_ his hat back. After all that time apart, they're finally together again like they should be. Like they _should_ have been all those years ago.

Tim would have laughed out loud, but even laughing seems like a lot of effort and he's forced to stay quiet.

They're both _alive_ and finally together, but still stuck as Pokémon. One rare, one not so rare, but both Pokémon all the same. They were both turned into something they're really not.

Tim wonders how he figured out that he's actually _Tim,_ but Harry _is_ the best detective of Ryme City and he shouldn't expect anything less.

"Yeah!" Harry's sensitive ears pick up Roger shouting in victory from the building, breaking the tender moment between them.

He blinks in momentary confusion; Howard's son must have gotten up there by using the elevator.

Maybe Roger isn't as much of a coward as he previously thought.

Turning, Tim just barely manages to see a blur of feathers before a winged shape is upon him, clawing and tearing deep into his fur. Based on its eyes, Tim realizes that the Cubone that knocked Harry off the tower has really been a _Ditto_ the whole time. If he survives this, he'll have to get the whole story from Harry later.

Roger defeated Howard's Ditto by hitting it out of the tower, but it still has a little fight left in it.

"Tim!" Harry screams. Now that Ditto is a normal Pokémon again, it doesn't need Mew anymore. It doesn't need _Tim_ anymore.

Tim can feel the Braviary's sharp talons digging deep into his side, letting out a pained cry and trying to get the bird off, but to no avail until determination spreads through him one last time.

All it takes is a simple pink psychic bubble to send it falling to the street below, crashing into a building, but simple is too much.

His eyes start drooping, the last of his energy fading completely from him.

Now _he's_ falling, but there's no one here to save him. If Harry had psychic powers himself, Tim knows he would. If Mewtwo was still himself, Tim is sure that the psychic would save him, but he's still under control by Howard. He's learned not to place any more doubt in his father the way he has been the last decade or so. But Harry is just a Pikachu, and Pikachu doesn't have any psychic powers.

He closes his eyes and prepares for the worst.

He doesn't regret anything.

xxxx

That one, single name is music to his ears, a name he never thought he'd ever get to hear again. Tim only called him the three-lettered name once upon realizing who he really was when he first came to his apartment, but never again since then. But maybe now...he'll get to hear the name more often, even if he still doesn't really deserve it after all the times he's failed.

Seeing Tim fall almost makes his heart stop, but the same Snorlax that blocks traffic day in and day out in different spots is now resting in the perfect spot for Tim to land gently on its soft and perfectly round belly.

"Thank you, Snorlax," Harry says gratefully. He always knew it was sitting in the street for a reason in case _something_ like this happened (or maybe it really was just coincidence.)

The large blue and fuzzy Pokémon nods, setting Tim down gently so Harry can run to him.

As soon as Tim is safe with him, Snorlax falls immediately back to sleep.

Harry picks Tim up as gently as possible, lightly shaking his son and hoping against all hope that he'll wake up.

"Tim! Tim, come on kid, say something!"

Tired brown eyes blink. For a fraction of a second, Harry thinks he sees blue just as Pangoro had described.

_No..._

"Dad...? You're alive...?" Tim whispers weakly. "You have your hat back."

Harry blinks back tears, glancing up at his forehead for just a second before focusing his attention back on Tim. "Y-yeah, kid, I do. You saved me," Harry confirms with a small smile, still not used to hearing 'dad.' He didn't _deserve_ to be saved, to have his son risk his life for him. "I'm okay. It's going to be okay. _You're_ going to be okay."

Maybe not as a dark shadow looms from behind Harry. He turns around fast to see Howard hovering over the two of them.

"You have to understand I'm doing this for the good of humanity," Howard says all too gently for Harry's tastes. "I cannot allow you to continue to interfere, _detective._ I have come to realize that I cannot allow your son to complete his transformation and reverse everything I've worked so hard to do. But even with its many powers, Mew cannot defeat Mewtwo in battle and especially not a _Pikachu."_

Howard spits the last name out, full of hate for such a small Pokémon.

Tim laughs, his ribs immediately protesting. First Howard _wanted_ him to use his powers, now he doesn't?

Harry doesn't want to let go of him, but he rests Tim gently on the ground behind him. Lucy rushes towards them, sitting and placing his head in her lap, her soft feathers brushing against the scratches left by Ditto's Braviary talons. He smiles up at her and she smiles back, overjoyed that he's actually alive and the feelings that flow between them more powerful than anything words could ever say.

Lucy's heart races faster. _He does feel the same way..._

If only it wasn't so awkward with her stuck as Psyduck and her future boyfriend a Mew, but she finds that she doesn't really mind and he probably doesn't, either.

Harry crawls forward on all fours, glaring up at Howard.

He's only been stuck as a Pikachu for a little over a week compared to being human for most of his life, but the small and yellow Pokémon has still become a big part of him.

He needs to embrace it completely if he's going to pull this off.

He has to protect Tim no matter the cost, no matter the risk of losing his memory a second time.

"Your son is finished," Howard states with utmost certainty and not even caring that Lucy is also in the line of fire.

Harry is even more certain.

"No," he whispers.

His powers are still gone, seemingly unwilling to return since he's really _human_ and Tim as Mew managed to bring a little bit of that part back, but he fights through the ocean that pulls them under, clawing his way to the surface.

 _"It would need to be powered down permanently somehow,"_ the real Roger had told them.

He doesn't need to attack Howard himself. He just needs to attack the _neural link..._

One spark on the left...one spark on the right...both cheeks at the same time...

Just as Howard lifts a hand to blast psychic energy at them—

_"Pi...ka... **chUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!"**_

The electricity breaks free at last from deep inside and then _out,_ shooting towards Howard before he can even think to block or dodge it. The bright, golden energy surrounds him from all sides, up and over his head.

 _Bingo._ The blast is enough to cause the neural link to start blinking uncontrollably until at last, it jitters unsteadily and the rapid blinking slows down bit by bit until it stops completely.

Howard's voice glitches in and out, sounding like broken static. "N-no...what have you done?!"

 _Ever heard of a power outage?_ Harry thinks blearily with amusement.

The human-merged-Pokémon raises a hand to his head dizzily, desperately trying to regain control as 'his' body shakes intensely to rid itself of its captor.

To make sure the neural link is really and truly dead, Harry sends another big jolt at it.

_"Chuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!"_

Howard goes limp in midair for a second, his head lolling to the side and his eyes closing.

Harry can no longer keep himself standing even on all fours, collapsing to the harsh ground with a tired moan.

"Dad! Are you okay?" Tim cries despite his weak state, his worst fear coming true. It's going to happen again...Harry is going to lose his memory again a second time...he can't let that happen.

"I'm...fine..." Harry whispers with a gasp, coughing and shaking his head to ward off the dizziness. The forgetfulness is coming on much faster this time around, he can feel it.

He should stop lying. He really should. Tim can read him like a book at this point, so he shouldn't even bother trying.

His son gives him a tired smile from Lucy's hold.

Behind Harry, the newly freed Mewtwo uses his psychic powers to lift the neural link off of his head, tossing it across the street and causing even more damage to the device.

Mewtwo blinks in shock at the sight of Mew.

Tim stares and Mewtwo stares back. Apart from the brief moment of recognition that flutters past before it fades in realization that who he thinks he's seeing isn't really the same Pokémon but a _human,_ the same human he had met in the underground part of the lab, his expression becomes a little more than difficult to decipher.

Tim still understands what he has to do.

What _they_ have to do together.

"I'm sorry, Dad," he breathes sharply to his father. Harry blinks in confusion, but then he remembers with horror what Ditto had said about Mew being able to fix everything, and Tim only confirms its words that Harry had hoped were just lies. "But I have to do this. I have to help him fix everything. _Everyone."_

The cure to change everyone back into humans hadn't really been destroyed inside the lab.

_Mew contains the DNA of all Pokémon._

_Do you know what happens when you add a human into the mix?_

Mew is the cure; _Tim_ is the cure.

Before he can try to stop him or pull away, Tim reaches his head upward to rest his snout on Harry's paw, trying his best to ignore the burning sensation that surges all throughout his tired and weak body as the same bright, white light from before grows larger and larger until it connects with the light emerging from Mewtwo's hand and engulfs the entire city, fading from view seconds later.

Lucy is still holding his head in her lap. Her hands feel different but that's a good thing, the neural link no longer stuck to her head thanks to the power between himself and Mewtwo. Her Psyduck is sitting next to her now, his gaze full of stress and worry as well as confusion as to what just happened between him and his partner. Yoshida and Snubbull sit on the ground across from each other, just as confused. He can't see Pangoro or her cubs anywhere, but he's sure it worked for them, too.

It _worked._

He lets out a sudden cough, his insides burning like the lab fire.

"Tim! Y-you're hurt!" Harry isn't sure why, but it's suddenly hard to talk, like the actual words are frozen in his throat. He feels bigger than he was just a few moments ago for some reason.

"W-we did it, Dad," Tim groans tiredly, looking up at him like he's really seeing his father for the first time. His eyes flash blue again and start to close slowly. "Y-you're back to n-normal..."

Harry feels himself going pale. Why is he having such a hard time understanding Tim? His paws suddenly feel wet and he looks down.

Red smears his paws.

No, he no longer _has_ paws.

This isn't right, it's not _possible._ Tim is still a Pokémon, but he's...he's been changed back into a...

His hands...his _human_ hands are covered with his son's blood.

Tim's blood.

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Press F to pay respects, he may or may not be okay. You'll find out if we get through all the angst.
> 
> Can you believe this fic is now 80k+ words?
> 
> This chapter took a while to develop just because there were so many things I wanted to add, but sadly had to cut or else it would have gone on for another chapter. This is the longest chapter so far as it is.
> 
> Also just wanted to throw this out there. Not really likely to happen but if anyone is still bored in quarantine, I'd love to see some fanart (of any chapter!)


	26. Choose the story's ending!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poll - choose the story's ending!

Alright everyone, this story is turning **a year old** on the **27th** this month! (fun fact: my birthday is actually on the 26th) I had the ending all planned out, but then I thought it'd be neat to try something like this and celebrate the story's first birthday.

There are only about two or three chapters left, so I am going to let you **decide the ending!**

I came up with 3 different, possible endings:

-Angsty ending

-Super angsty ending

-Happy ending

-All 3! They are all planned out and will have to be written, but you'll get 3 different endings about how the story could have gone.

I'm not going to say what I have planned for each one, but you probably get the general idea.

So just leave a comment saying which ending you want and I'll write whichever one gets the most votes!

[](https://www.hitwebcounter.com)  
  



	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You still have time to vote if you haven't already!! Next chapter is second to last and is going to determine how the story ends. It will be posted on the 27th and voting will end then.
> 
> If you want to change your vote, just let me know ;)
> 
> Angsty - 1  
> Super Angsty - 1  
> Happy - 16  
> All Three - 6

Everything feels wrong.

He feels too tall, his balance is much too shaky even while sitting dazed in the street without a familiar lightning-shaped tail to support him from behind. The very idea of trying to stand up makes him want to release whatever's in his stomach at the moment.

Mewtwo is still hovering in front of them. It seems like the psychic is unsure of what to say or do, caught like a Sawsbuck in the headlights, but Harry is desperate as he feels the red warmth on his hands spreading.

"Please..." he whispers weakly.

Mewtwo can help Tim, he _has_ to. He can heal his son's injuries somehow, right?

But the psychic Pokémon takes immediate notice of the growing crowd around them, blinking once before taking off into the sky.

"Wait!" Harry shouts, but Mewtwo is already out of sight, leaving him with his badly injured son-turned-Pokémon.

His balance might be off but Harry refuses to get up without picking Tim up from the hard ground, safe in his arms.

The only thing that stops him from completely falling over is a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"H-Hide," he chokes out, turning to the lieutenant and Snubbull.

Talking as a human again is going to take some time getting used to. Now other humans apart from his son can understand him.

"It really is you," Yoshida says, eyes wide and darting down to Tim soon after. "Is he—"

"He's alive," Harry confirms, too afraid to look down at the broken shape in his arms.

Barely. His breathing is labored, his chest rising up and down a lot slower than it should.

Harry is suddenly all too aware of how many eyes are glued on him and the small bundle in his arms, whispers harshly surrounding him from every side.

Thank Arceus he has clothes on again. He even has his glasses back even if he never needed them as Pikachu, although he's not really sure how that worked; probably thanks to the power between Mew and Mewtwo.

Mew.

Gathering enough courage, he looks down.

The whispers become louder.

He keeps his eyes locked on Tim.

"Is that _Mew?"_

"It can't be."

"I think it is. Mew _two_ just flew off, but Mew is the _original."_

"Let's try and catch it!"

Protectively, Harry brings Tim close to his chest. The trainers seem to have forgotten all about the rules of no Poké Balls allowed in the city, that they can't even _think_ of catching a Pokémon here; if he could, he'd arrest them on the spot. Then again, it's not like they know who Mew really is...

His _son._

Even their Pokémon partners that they've recently been un-merged from seem very curious, sniffing the air.

Mew can turn invisible at will based on the way his son had hid himself from the police when they arrived at the lab—maybe he should try and encourage Tim to do it again for his own protection—but Harry immediately scraps that idea. Tim has already used his powers enough, he can't risk using them again.

Thankfully Hide is with them to keep the trainers grounded.

"You know the rules," he reminds them firmly, stepping in front of Harry. Snubbull growls next to him. "Anyone who makes an attempt to catch this Pokémon in this city _will_ spend some time behind bars."

The trainers roll their eyes and mutter to themselves but at least they listen and back off, turning their attention to their partners so they can tend to them.

Harry had never been sure how he felt about the not-catching-any-Pokémon-in-Ryme-City thing; it seemed like it had permanently cemented his decision not to find a partner of his own and he can't help but look up from Tim for just a moment, feeling the tiniest bit envious at the bond between the trainers and their partners. He never even had that with his own son after he left until Tim came to the city to say goodbye once his fake death happened. It also seemed ridiculous that trainers could even spend time behind bars as Yoshida warned, but Harry finds himself a lot more grateful than anything for the law that will prevent anyone from trying to catch Tim.

But he'd be lying to himself if he never thought about what it would be like inside a Poké Ball during his time as a Pokémon.

Movement out of the corner of his eye causes Harry to look and see Howard being wheeled out of the department towards a police car on the way to the city jail. The other neural link that had connected him to Mewtwo is still stuck to his head, the only difference now being that the device is completely dark and powerless.

Roger stares on with what seems like regret. Harry hadn't even noticed him get down from the CNM tower.

"The strange thing is that no matter what his flaws, deep down...I blame myself for not being there for him."

Harry focuses intently back on Tim. _Just like I wasn't there for you._

Roger also doesn't seem to have a partner, no Pokémon at his side. It's then that Harry realizes he has way too much in common with the Clifford family.

But Tim is still alive, still breathing...they have to get help _now._

Roger has other ideas, quickly grabbing Lucy's attention before they can try to leave.

"You. You were working on this story, had a lead on it before anyone else even knew."

"That's correct," Lucy confirms proudly.

"Thank you," Harry whispers the one thing he's wanted to say since meeting her. She was the first to believe that something had seemed off about his 'death' in the car crash.

She nods at him in return. If she and Tim do end up getting together once everything is all over, he _definitely_ approves.

"Good. Right," Roger continues, ecstatic. "You're going on camera. I want you giving an in-depth report for CNM tonight, prime time. Make sure you close with: Roger Clifford pledges to undo all the harm his father caused, starting with the Pokémon _and_ humans he experimented on."

Lucy smiles bright as the sun itself but then pauses before speaking again, keeping herself composed and professional as she looks at Tim still lifeless in his father's arms.

"With all due respect, I'm going to stay with my bo- _friend._ My friend and his father. They need me."

Roger fails miserably at trying to make his sigh not sound too annoyed. "I suppose it can wait...but just for now. I'd like to get an interview from you, as well."

Harry blinks behind his glasses. Roger wants to do an interview with him _now_ after everything that happened?

"As soon as your son is better, of course," he adds abruptly.

Whether Roger's definition of 'better' means Tim healing from his injuries or turning back into a human, Harry isn't sure. The last thing on his mind is doing an interview for Roger of all people, but he decides to humor the man.

"Sure. Maybe."

"I can see it now," Roger says, almost to himself. "Shocking news: Detective believed to have died in car crash was actually turned into a Pikachu."

Rubble nearby shifts, seeming to move by itself. Psyduck closes his eyes in fright, preparing for the worst. He jumps as a head—a _human_ head identical to Roger pops out from the scattered debris. Snubbull growls even harder.

"Nooooo," the Ditto moans, staring at both of its hands. "I'm Roger again. This wasn't supposed to happen."

Ditto had talked about disabling Tim's powers so he couldn't reverse everything, but he _had_ and now Ditto is back to being Roger again, which also means that it's able to be understood by other humans.

Something that wasn't meant to happen according to Ditto.

Well, neither was his son changing into a Pokémon.

Harry advances towards it before anyone can even think of holding him back, gripping Tim carefully with one hand and grabbing the Ditto's white lab coat as the dazed human-Pokémon stands up shakily on two legs.

"Change. Him. _Back,"_ he demands, gripping the lab coat tighter.

Ditto lets out a sound between a laugh and a snort, completely unfazed. "I can't. It's impossible."

Harry turns to the real Roger, desperate. He squeezes Tim a little tighter but not too tight for fear of hurting him even more than he already is.

To Harry's horror, Roger doesn't disagree. The man shakes his head, glancing at his clone with panic and then staring at Tim with what seems like guilt.

"He was transformed using the Non-Neural Link method, which is permanent; we can change the form of a human, but haven't figured out a way to reverse it without causing significant damage in the process. It's already bad enough the subjects lose consciousness as they're transformed."

 _Subjects._ Harry flinches slightly at the word, and hearing that they lose consciousness doesn't make it any better. He resists the urge to punch Roger in the face and say he can forget that interview, reminding himself that _Ditto_ is actually the one at fault.

Significant damage...if the risk is too high that something terrible will happen to Tim during the reversal, Harry doesn't know what he'd do. He wants more than anything for his son to return to being human, but if it means the possibility of losing him for real...

Roger continues, eyes still wide with terror on his other self.

"We were able to transform the subjects _into_ what we wanted, but once they were transformed, they lost their original forms like they were never human to begin with. You might have experienced this yourself, but over time the subjects lost their memories of who they really were—faster if they used their powers—turning into an entirely real Pokémon."

Roger's reasoning behind not being able to reverse the transformation leaves him confused.

Something doesn't make sense.

"That's not possible," Harry argues lightly, shaking his head and trying his best not to fall over from the immediate dizziness that swarms him. "I was transformed the same way, wasn't I? I was able to change back to normal without any trouble."

Except for the dizziness that plagues his head and that his balance is still very off.

"I don't know what to tell you," Ditto answers with a laugh that's probably going to haunt Harry in his nightmares. "Everything was destroyed in the lab, anyway."

Everything. Whatever they had done to transform Tim into Mew, it's gone. In a way, Harry is grateful. The Ditto won't be able to hurt Tim ever again.

Roger is just as unhelpful. "I'm not sure about that, either. As far as I know, there were only two ways to be turned into Pokémon. But knowing my father, maybe there's something else he didn't tell me."

Maybe his reversal has something to do with Mew and Mewtwo's powers combined.

"He's _never_ going to change back," Ditto practically growls.

Yoshida takes care of the situation without second thought.

"Take it in," he orders the officers standing nearby around them, nodding towards the police department.

Ditto going to human jail. Harry isn't sure what to think at this point, but the Pokémon is permanently stuck as a human now and they need somewhere to hold it until they figure out what to do with it. No one would ever know the difference. The only problem is making sure the police _and_ press know that the real Roger is (mostly) innocent. He still played a big part, so he'll likely spend some time behind bars; hopefully a few years.

"I'm sorry about your son. If I could, I would try and reverse it, but Ditto is right. Everything was destroyed in the lab...but I also take responsibility for his condition. I'm the one who sent Ditto flying right at him."

Much to his surprise, Roger's apology actually sounds genuine and he almost takes back his previous thoughts about the man heading straight to jail.

He shakes his head. The image of Roger punting Ditto out of the CNM tower would probably send him into a fit of laughter otherwise if Tim's current conditon wasn't so dire.

"It wasn't your fault; you didn't mean to. Ditto just had other ideas."

Harry holds Tim closer. Lifting a hand to his son's head, he almost pulls back. His forehead is very warm, indicating a fever much worse than he'd had when he caught Lucy's cold.

But now that he's human again, he'll have a much easier time taking care of Tim.

He has to get him to the place where sick and injured Pokémon can heal.

The opposite of a doctor.

"He needs—" Harry starts, but Yoshida is already way ahead of him.

"I'll drive," Yoshida offers immediately, and Harry once again finds himself grateful for his steadfast support.

"Hang in there, kid," he pleads. He just got him back, he can't lose him again...

As if in response, his son takes hold of his hand with a paw, gripping tightly. His eyes remain closed, but he nuzzles his head closer to Harry's chest...something he used to do if he fell asleep while watching a 'boring' old black and white movie. Harry would lift him up into his arms to take him upstairs to bed.

If Tim can feel how fast his heart is racing, he doesn't give any indication.

He's still a Mew...what if he _stays_ a Mew?

Harry becomes more determined, putting that horrible thought aside. Tim is putting his trust in him, and he's not about to break that trust like he did so many years ago.

Looking back up, the Pokémon Center is getting closer, but it's more like one of those dreams where you run and never seem to get any nearer to where you're trying to go.

He doesn't even remember running through the doors, finding himself standing in front of Nurse Joy.

Her eyes widen in surprise from behind the desk and she lifts a hand to her mouth, stunned.

"Oh my, is that—"

"My son," Harry immediately interrupts. She's most likely already treated those un-merged with their partners.

Nurse Joy stares for a moment before snapping quickly back to reality and her job.

"He's my son...please," Harry finishes in nothing but a pitiful whisper.

Nurse Joy nods and before Harry knows it, Tim is being strolled away on a stretcher by two Chansey.

Nurse Joy disappears down the hallway, the doors sliding shut.

"He's going to be okay, I know it," Lucy reassures him.

It doesn't help. For all Harry knows, Tim could end up just like his...

He knows he won't be able to handle going through that again.

He reluctantly allows himself to be led to a chair to sit in, and he finds himself glad. If he stands any longer, he really _will_ fall over. Psyduck and Snubbull both stay near him, sensing his distress. Snubbull even allows him to absentmindedly scratch him in between his ears on top of his head where Harry knows Yoshida scratches him when he thinks no one is looking.

Time passes very slowly as if time itself is against him. The calming lullaby playing overhead is starting to get very repetitive.

"How did you finally figure out I was Pikachu?" he finally asks Hide the one question he's wanted to know as a form of distraction.

"You came back to my office again and wrote it on a piece of paper," Hide answers. Harry is a little more than confused; he only tried to convince Hide once, not counting the time when Tim brought him into the office when he was knocked out after using his powers for the first time in the battle against Charizard.

His brow furrows in confusion. "No, I didn't."

Yoshida instantly disagrees. "You were in my office and shoved paper in my face after writing on it. That got my attention. If it wasn't you then maybe it was Ditto, though that doesn't make sense at all considering..."

The lieutenant's words trail off in the distance and Harry lets out a long breath, trying very unsuccessfully to stop his hands from shaking.

He can clearly remember Ditto saying that Mew contains the DNA of all Pokémon and how Tim as Pidgeot had to change back into Mew right in front of them due to overusing his powers so much.

The detective part of his mind surges to life, putting two and two together.

Tim had probably changed into a Pikachu to get Yoshida's attention, and he wrote on a piece of paper claiming to _be_ him so Yoshida would believe it.

"It was actually Tim..." he whispers in amazement. "Mew can transform into other Pokémon, too."

"He turned into Pikachu so I would believe him, then turned into Pidgeot and led us to you," Yoshida explains aloud to himself in realization. "He takes after you."

Harry doesn't see it. At all.

"I'm pretty sure you're confusing me with someone else."

His son is _nothing_ like him, and he's glad.

He can't stop a small smile from spreading and Hide seems to get it, nodding respectfully. Tim definitely takes after his mother, smart and brave in ways he could never be. It's all thanks to Tim that Ryme City is somewhat back to normal, that he and Lucy and Hide are all back to normal. Tim sacrificed himself without thinking twice about it.

In the back of his mind, he wonders if Pangoro and her cubs— _kids_ now, he has to remind himself—are alright, and if she's found her husband.

He hopes so. He feels bad for just leaving them behind in the city, but maybe Hide can track them down so he and Tim can check up on them.

The sky outside the center windows is dark by the time the doors slide open at last and Nurse Joy appears again.

_The hospital, the doctor coming out of the room to give him the news..._

His feet tell him to get up and run as fast as he can, but the support of both Lucy and Hide keep him sitting.

"Can I—?" Harry asks helplessly.

Nurse Joy nods. "You may see him now, though I do ask that it is only family at this time."

Family. The word sounds so foreign, like he has no idea what it means. How long has it been since he was truly a part of Tim's family?

Lucy and Yoshida seem to deflate a little, but they both give him tiny nods, silently telling him it's okay to go in without them.

He'll be just fine, _Tim_ will be just fine. Nothing is going to happen to him.

Harry follows Nurse Joy wordlessly through the hallway until they reach Tim's room.

The first thing he sees is a bed with white sheets, and on top of the bed is a still pink shape.

Harry enters slowly, not daring to make a sound so his son can get all the rest he needs to fully recover.

He nearly falls into the chair next to the bed.

Tim lying lifelessly with his eyes shut tight, hooked up to an IV.

Just like his mother had been.

The beeping is almost enough to drive him over the edge.

 _It's a good sign,_ he tries to convince himself sternly. _It means he's still alive._

But for how long?

"I'm so sorry, kid," he whispers, meaning every word in his heart. Words that he should have said long ago. "For leaving you behind when you needed me most, for everything I've put you through when I left you alone."

Tim hasn't been stuck as a Pokémon as long as him, but he's been using his powers much more than he had when he was still Pikachu. Tim had to escape the lab, he had to battle Howard...

 _Do you think it hurt when you...changed?_ Tim's question comes rushing back to him, but now he can't imagine the pain of Tim's own transformation, and some part of him is glad that Roger mentioned the 'subjects' lose consciousness. The details of his transformation into Pikachu still aren't coming back to him but as for his reversal, no...it didn't hurt. It didn't hurt one bit when Tim changed him back into a human.

He's dreamed of returning to normal ever since waking up as Pikachu in the middle of nowhere, but he never dreamed it would be like _this,_ putting Tim in harm's way. If he had known sooner, he would have rather stayed as a Pikachu for the rest of his life.

It's like his brain finally registers he's human again, his mind clear enough now and able to remember just how he was transformed _into_ a Pikachu.

...

_Mewtwo flinches in his semi-alert state, affected by the tubes connected to the chamber...the tubes that take his DNA._

_"His favorite Pokémon is Pikachu," Harry says as a kind of distraction._ _  
_

_Mewtwo's body relaxes, much to Harry's relief. While he's here, at least he can provide Mewtwo with some comfort. He's not exactly supposed to be here in the lab alone like this, but Howard had granted him special access thanks to tracking down Mewtwo, a feat that Harry will never forgive himself for._

...

Harry blindly reaches a hand up to his head, trying desperately to stop the onslaught of memories breaking free to no avail.

...

_"Detective Goodman, I shouldn't have to remind you that we have...methods to ensure your cooperation and trust that you won't...rat us out," Dr. Laurent says coldly._

_Harry immediately gets the implication, his hands curling into fists. But he doesn't dare put them to use, or else what little family he has left will be in danger._

...

_Two other 'scientists' approach Harry, readying to escort him out of the lab._

_**The plan has changed,**_ _Mewtwo's voice rings sharply in his head. The psychic Pokémon stretches a hand right towards him._ _**And so will you...but not by** **them.**_

_He bends over suddenly, crying out in some kind of pain of his own._

**_I am sorry, but this is the only way now that they know you oppose them. They will be none the wiser but your son will recognize you in this form, even if he attempts to deny what has remained in his heart after all these years. Your memory will blur as to how this happened, but you will remember who you are. Reunite with your son and mend the broken bond. Work together to solve this case. I trust you, Harry Goodman._ **

_Harry hardly takes notice of the bright, white light flashing for less than a second before the lab disappears and everything goes black._

_..._

_When he wakes up, he looks at his surroundings only to find that there's absolutely nothing familiar around him. He feels shorter than normal, and for some reason his clothes feel a lot more fuzzier._

_Looking down at his hands, he screams at the sight of...paws?!_

_Small and yellow paws._

_His scream shakes the surrounding trees, causing wild Pidgey to fly in all directions._

_It doesn't take a lot to figure out which_ _Pokémon he's been turned into, the lightning-shaped tail a dead giveaway._

_"Pikachu...?" he murmurs once he thinks he's calm enough to try and figure this out, his heart pounding hard. "Why am I a Pikachu?"_

_Reaching up, he feels that his hat is exactly where it's supposed to be._

_At least he still has his hat._

_How did this happen?! He can't remember, but he's going to find out._

_Even remembering where he lives is difficult._

_Taking the hat off of his head, he takes note of how much smaller it is now._

_The address is still there that he'd written inside in case it ever got lost. He can't imagine ever losing the hat; it used to be Tim's favorite when they would play detectives together and solve made up mysteries._

_Now he has to solve his own mystery. Well, he's 100% sure he can pull that off!_

_How he's going to find help if no one can understand him is an entirely different story..._

_..._

_"Okay. If you're really my dad, then prove it," Tim demands. "Tell me something only my father would know."_

_That isn't fair! It's been how long since they've seen each other...?_

_"Your favorite Pokémon is Pikachu," he replies almost instantly, anyway. "Which is kind of a coincidence if you think about it," he says, looking down at himself._

...

Harry breathes slowly in and out as the memories subside. If Tim was awake now, he's not sure if he would give him the honest answer about feeling pain during his transformation.

Now that he clearly remembers how it happened, he also remembers the pain.

It _hurt,_ which doesn't make sense to him since his reversal was painless. Maybe it was just a heat of the moment thing since Mewtwo was in a hurry to change him and get him out of the lab, helpfully sending him out into the middle of nowhere. 

He really _hadn't_ been transformed with the Non-Neural Link method. Why Tim was able to change him and everyone else back, but his son is still stuck as Mew...

Roger's words echo back at him. _Knowing my father, maybe there's something else he didn't tell me._

The last part of the video in the office that got cut off finally makes sense.

_"However, we have discovered—"_

There's also a _third_ way for a human to be transformed or merged into a Pokémon.

_Mewtwo..._

Turning into a Pikachu really _hadn't_ been a coincidence like he thought, because he told Mewtwo that Tim's favorite Pokémon was—

No, he has another more important matter to focus on right now.

More apologies to make.

"I'm sorry I wasn't able to protect you. I've failed you so many times and I don't deserve any forgiveness at this point."

No amount of 'I'm sorry' will ever express how truly sorry he really is for all the pain he's caused his own son.

No response, no indication at all that Tim hears him.

_Please be okay, you have to be okay...I can't lose you, too._

He held onto the belief that his wife was able to hear him, he has to do the same now.

His glasses fog up. He reaches up to take them off for a moment to clean them and it's only then he realizes that he's crying.

 _"When_ you're...better, if you want to stay here with me, I'd like that very much. But if you want to go back home...I won't argue."

He _should_ have argued when Tim refused the first time but he just didn't want to force him, especially not so soon after his mother...

It's his own fault that things got so bad between them, as evidenced by the fact that Tim hadn't even recognized his own father's voice when he started talking in the apartment.

He should have called more, done a lot of things more to keep Tim in his life.

"Just know that no matter what happens, no matter if you leave or stay...no matter if you're a Pokémon or human...you'll always be my son."

Harry hopes he isn't just imagining it when Tim's eyes squint behind closed lids, his body starting to move.

"...Tim?" Harry whispers, clinging onto the hope that somehow, his son is still in there. But he remembers the way he'd lost himself, how strongly his Pokémon side had taken over his mind to the point Tim couldn't even understand him anymore.

He'd turned into a real Pikachu with no memory of who he really was until Tim—unknowingly at the time—healed his mind after being transformed into Mew as well as Pangoro's so they were both able to remember.

Harry sits frozen in his seat, not daring to take his eyes off of his son.

Blue eyes slowly open. Its presence in the room intensifies greatly, a sense of awe nearly overwhelming Harry.

The rare Pokémon stares blankly at him, tilting its head to the side curiously.

It lets out a high-pitched squeak.

"Mew?"

  



End file.
